The Impact of Self-Compassion Strategies to Reduce Stress and Support the Transition to Practice for New Graduate Nurses: A Pilot Project

Abstract The purpose of the study was to analyze the impact of self-compassion exercises to reduce stress and support the transition to practice for new graduate nurses. As the years pass, one thing remains a consistent topic in healthcare, and the need for nurses remains constant. The nursing staffing shortage gap seemingly widened further as the COVID-19 pandemic created additional challenges for healthcare systems, patient care, and employees. Retention of the workforce and an intentional focus on new graduate nurses\u27 well-being have become increasingly important. New graduate nurses are a pipeline for the nursing workforce. Supporting the transition to practice through the guidance of a nurse residency program has been shown to aid in this important transition as well as provide a platform to promote well-being. This project introduced self-compassion exercises in the first 3 months of the Nurse Residency Program. Jean Watson’s unitary model was the theoretical framework that was used to guide this project. New graduate nurses were evaluated utilizing the Casey-Fink Graduate Nurse Experience Survey, which was administered at hire and again at 3 months, which aligned with the organization\u27s first phase of the Nurse Residency Program. The results revealed a slight improvement in the increased support response as well as a decrease in stressors. The findings of this pilot study demonstrated that the use of self-compassion exercises had a positive impact on new graduate nurse\u27s early transition to practice experience. Keywords: stress, retention, graduate nurses, resilience, self-care, transition to practice, residency, vision boar