Design: Descriptive, correlational design comparing employment success indicators.
Population, Sample, Setting, Years: 80 newly-licensed RNs employed in adult medical/surgical and critical care staff nurse units at a large hospital in southwestern USA. Orientation began within three months of graduation beginning June 1999 to June 2003.
Concept or Variables Studied Together: E2, competency assessment exam scores, clinical performance evaluation scores, and NCLEX-RN outcomes.
Method: Relationships among E2 scores, NCLEX-RN outcomes, and clinical performance evaluations were studied, and the E2's predictive accuracy with NCLEX-RN success was calculated. Predictors of orientation goal achievement were compared for RNs employed in adult medical/surgical units and RNs employed in critical care units. Significant correlations (p < .05) were found among E2 and initial competency assessment scores, and between ninety-day performance evaluation scores and retention rates at one year.
Findings: Unlike the critical care RNs, who predominantly scored above the minimally-acceptable level of 85 on E2 on a first attempt, 25% of those in adult medical/surgical units scored below 85, and 30% had HESI scores below 88. Findings indicated the E2 was a highly accurate predictor of NCLEX-RN success for new graduates employed in entry-level RN positions in two different clinical areas within the same hospital.
Conclusions: Results confirmed the E2's accuracy in predicting employment success for newly-graduated nurses within their first year in critical care or adult medical/surgical nursing practice.
Implications: The E2 was useful in assessing initial RN competency in units experiencing high staff turnover.