Date of Conferral

2022

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Health Services

Advisor

Robin Carlson

Abstract

Nurse residency programs have been identified as a strategy for supporting new nurses as they transition to clinical and professional practice but the impact has not been adequately explored. Exploring the transition experiences of new nurses in residency programs supports healthcare administrators’ understanding and may provide enhancements. Guided by Bridges’s transition theory, this research gave nurses who had recently graduated from a residency program, the opportunity to express their unique transition experience. Using snowball sampling and semi structured telephone interviews, participants responded to the guiding question of how new nurses describe their transition experiences in a nurse residency program. Interviews were transcribed and the themes of valuable program, feeling overwhelmed, and desire to serve and grow were identified. The theme of valuable program was supported by participant’s expressions that the residency program built confidence and competence. Feeling overwhelmed theme was impacted by changed expectations and long working hours. A desire to serve and grow was voiced as a need to contribute to patient’s wellbeing and career growth opportunities. The findings from this study inform healthcare leaders on ways to improve nurse residency programs, which in turn could increase retention among new nurses.

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