Description/Overview: The symposium, An Evidence-based Nurse Internship Program, will present the development, implementation and evaluation of an Internship model that was established for statewide use in response to staffing issues. In 1998 the nurse leaders in Vermont researched the potential impact of the looming nursing shortage. If current trends continue, it was estimated that by 2020, Vermont would have 36% fewer nurses than required for provision of safe and effective patient care. To manage the projected deficit, the emphasis was placed on recruiting and retaining every nurse working in Vermont. The focus of the Nurse Internship Program was retention and its target audience is new graduates, new to specialty and re-entry program nurses. The development of the evidence-based model for supporting these nurses as they transition into clinical practice will be presented. It started as a state wide multi-site project and currently includes participation from across the continuum of care: hospitals, nursing homes, public health and home health agencies, all using the same framework for transition to practice. It has spread to over 200 agencies outside Vermont and is part of regional or state-wide initiatives in Hawaii, Arizona, Alaska and Indian Health Service. This state-wide, workforce retention project required the cooperation of hospital administration, nurse managers, clinical educators, academic faculty, and staff. This high level of collaboration will be showcased as this symposium shares with an international audience: 1. an overview of the development, structure and components of the internship; 2. implementation challenges and lessons learned; and 3. evaluation process and ooutcomes Participants will leave the presentation with specific tools and resources that allow a jump start into the development and evaluation of their own retention project. Interactive instructional modalities will include lecture, handouts, 'pair and share' evaluation of framework outline, group discussion, and question and answer.

Learner Objective #1: Describe the components of an evidence-based nurse internship

Learner Objective #2: Identify appropriate outcomes to evaluate a nursing retention intervention.