Date of Conferral
11-10-2025
Date of Award
November 2025
Degree
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
School
Nursing
Advisor
Catherine Garner
Abstract
In the home care setting, there is an increasing need for home care services due to aging populations and the rising prevalence of chronic diseases, as well as a scarcity of qualified home care staff to meet the health needs of patients in this setting. A home care agency's onboarding program, particularly its capacity to deliver comprehensive orientation and robust mentoring for new nurses, plays a crucial role in supporting the retention of newly employed nursing staff within the home care environment. Research indicates that without ongoing support and close monitoring, newly hired nurses may disengage during the onboarding and transition process. Job satisfaction has been proven to be a significant factor influencing nurse retention, according to the literature. Other factors, such as poor orientation or lack of support during the onboarding process, as well as heavy workload, and hostile work environment, all have a significant impact on retention. The organization’s internal data reveal that the retention rate has consistently fallen below the organization’s quarterly goal of 90% and annual goal of 85%. For the past 3 years, the average annual retention rate has remained below 70%. The purpose of this Executive Leadership Project is to evaluate whether the creation and implementation of a formal onboarding program for new hires in the home care setting will enhance staff engagement, resulting in increased satisfaction and improved retention.
Recommended Citation
Ihezue, Chidi D., "Improving Retention of Newly Hired Nurses in Home Care" (2025). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 18637.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/18637
