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Learning Objective 1: Identify strategies that nurse educators can use to assist the senior level nursing student prepare for role transition to new graduate nurse.
Learning Objective 2: Describe creative partnerships between educators, nurse managers and preceptors to support successful transition from school to workplace designed to minimize transition crisis.
Introduction: Background: Failure to adjust to the workplace may be the deciding factor in a new graduate nurse leaving a job or the profession altogether. Current strategies to facilitate transition often focus on mentoring models at the time of initial employment. There is emerging recognition that a continuum of support is needed to bridge between school and workplace and should begin prior to graduation. Study Questions: 1. What are the perceived outcomes related to the undergraduate course, “Transition to Professional Practice” (product)? 2. What are the experiences described by the students/new graduates/preceptors/clinical managers after completing the transitions course (process)? 3. What are the perceived strengths and deficiencies of the undergraduate transitions course? (product). Design: Mixed methods using focus group interviews and survey methodology. Setting and Sample: Students enrolled in the ‘Transition to Professional Practice’ course during the winter semester of 2011, preceptors and nurse managers recruited from a local hospital. Data Collection: Online survey instruments and a subsample of students participating in focus group interviews separate from focus groups with nurse managers and preceptors. Data Analysis: The focus groups audiotaped, transcribed and organized using N-Vivo software and independent reviewers using content analysis to identify themes. Survey data coded and analyzed using SPSS software. Conclusions: Focus group findings and course evaluation outcomes will be presented along with preliminary data analysis from the student surveys collected at the beginning of the course, at the end of the course and three months after graduation.