Date of Conferral
11-13-2025
Date of Award
November 2025
Degree
Ph.D.
School
Nursing
Advisor
Leslie Hussey
Abstract
The transition to independent clinical practice is a stressful experience that may lead many new graduate RNs (NGRNs) to leave their first role within a year. Effective clinical education can help prepare NGRNs for the dynamic environment of the acute care setting. The purposes of this study, guided by Meleis’s transitions theory, were to determine if there was (a) a difference in confidence in NGRNs who experienced a dedicated education unit (DEU) and NGRNs who experienced a traditional clinical education model (TCEM), (b) a difference in resilience in NGRNs who experienced a DEU and NGRNs who experienced a TCEM, (c) a difference in organizational commitment in NGRNs who experienced a DEU and NGRNs who experienced a TCEM, and (d) a difference in stress/burnout in NGRNs who experienced a DEU and NGRNs who experienced a TCEM. Archived Casey-Fink Graduate Nurse Experience Survey results were collected for 36 NGRNs who had experienced TCEM compared to 24 NGRNs who had experienced DEU. Results of a Mann-Whitney U showed no statistically significant differences in ranks between the TCEM and DEU groups across all four subscales. Future research should include larger sample sizes and incorporate additional dependent variables using expanded survey instruments. Ensuring the implementation of the most effective clinical education models through academic-practice partnerships is essential to support NGRNs’ transition to practice success, which affects positive social change.
Recommended Citation
Reilly, Lenore, "Comparison of Two Clinical Education Models on Confidence, Resilience, Organizational Commitment, and Stress and Burnout of New Graduate Registered Nurses" (2025). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 18609.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/18609
