Setting, Design, and Method: Phenomenological interviews of 20 mentee-mentor pairs and longitudinal evaluations for all mentees were used to evaluate the effectiveness of a residency program in a 500-bed acute care hospital. Initial evaluations conducted at the beginning of the residency program will be reported. Additional measures will be obtained at 6 and 12-month periods. Evaluations include the McCloskey-Mueller Satisfaction Scale, the Casey-Fink Graduate Nurse Experience Survey, and the Gerber Control Over Nursing Practice Scale.

Concept Targeted: The 12-month post-licensure residency program was designed to ease the transition into specialty roles for new graduate, transfer, and re-entry nurses. Novice and experienced nurses were paired in a mentoring relationship to improve patient care and skill progression of the new nurses and to promote dialogue about unit-based and hospital-wide practice norms. Bi-monthly conferences for mentors were used to support experienced nurses as they mentored newer nurses. Separate bi-monthly conferences for mentees were used to introduce novice nurses to evidence based practice, to dialogue about on-going practice issues, and to discuss and professional opportunities within the hospital system.

Findings: Manager support was key to recruiting mentors and mentees and to promoting active program involvement. Training for mentors and regular contact between mentors and mentees influenced the quality of their relationship.

Conclusions: Support for both mentors and for mentees is critical to the effectiveness of a nurse-residency program. Mentoring helped novice nurses develop a sense of belonging and commitment to hospital wide goals and practices. Pairing an experienced and novice nurse helped facilitate skill development in both mentoring partners.

Implications: Residency-mentoring programs should be used at the unit level to promote retention and ease the transition into specialty nursing roles.