Effects of Intentional Mentorship on Transition to Practice for New RNs

Abstract

Purpose: The practice gap for new RNs is rapidly growing as they fail to adequately transition from student to nurse. Since 2011, there has been an alarming year-over-year decline in the initial competency of new RNs, with the latest studies showing that only 9% of new RNs meet acceptable competency benchmarks for novice nurses. The purpose of project was to assess the effect of a six- week intentional mentorship program (IMP) on new RNs’ perceptions of practice readiness and preparedness. Methods: The project will occur at an inpatient metropolitan hospital in Nashville, TN, on a mother- baby unit. Participants will include all new RN residents hired on the mother-baby unit and their hospital-assigned preceptor. RN preceptors will become mentors and incorporate the IMP for six weeks. Perceived readiness and preparedness will be evaluated with the Casey-Fink Readiness for Practice Survey. Results: At the conclusion of the IMP, 100% of new nurses reported practice readiness compared to 66% of new nurses in the control group. Perceptions of preparedness reported on a 5-point Likert scale improved from 2.8 in the control group to 4.7 in the IMP nurses. Implications for Practice: IMPs may positively impact new nurses’ perception of practice readiness and preparedness. The implementation of IMPs should be considered by healthcare facilities in the onboarding of new Registered Nurses to aid in transition to practice. Findings also demonstrate the importance of training for nurse mentors or preceptors to equip them with the tools needed to effectively train new nurses. Further research with IMPs be completed, and expanding researched to additional practice specialties and settings is needed to move towards generalizability.