Aim: To examine the relationships between selected components of new graduate nurse transition programmes and transition experiences.
Background: Transition support for new graduates is growing increasingly multifaceted; however, an investigation of the effectiveness of the constituent components of the transition process is lacking.
Methods: An online survey was disseminated to new graduates working in acute care settings and included questions related to new graduate transition programmes. The Casey Fink Graduate Nurse Experience Survey was used to quantify the transition experience.
Results: New graduate nurses who participated in a formal new graduate (NG) transition programme had significantly higher total transition scores than non-programme nurses. The orientation length and the average number of hours worked in a two week period were significant predictors of transition; the percentage of preceptored shifts was statistically insignificant.
Conclusions: New graduate transition is enhanced with participation in a formal transition programme. Orientation should be at least four weeks in length, and new graduates should work at least 49 hours in a two week period.
Implications for nursing management: Nurse managers are in key positions to advocate for new graduate nurse transition programmes with adequate resources to support a four week orientation phase and shift scheduling to ensure an adequate number of hours over two week periods to facilitate transition.
Keywords: new graduate nurse; orientation; preceptorship; survey; transition programmes.
© 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.