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The first aim of this literature review was to determine if nurse residency programs are effective in supporting newly licensed nurses in the transition to professional practice. The second aim was to establish best practice of nurse residency programs.
Approximately 75% of registered nurses (RNs) in the United States are ages 50-64, with 55% of nurses currently employed planning to retire by 2020 (Windey et al., 2015). The need for nurses is projected to increase over the next 10 years as the number of older adults also increases (Sharpnack, Moon, & Waite, 2014). Supply is not sufficient for demand and, to exacerbate the problem, newly licensed nurses are leaving their first positions at an estimated rate of 35%-61% (Windey et al., 2015). The aging workforce, increased need for nursing care, and high attrition for new nurses contribute to a projected 20% vacancy rate of unfilled RN positions in the United States (Moran, 2012).
Acute care nurse vacancy rates of 8%-10% are reported widely, with general turnover rates of 13% and new graduate nurse turnover of 18%-50% (Spiva et al., 2013). Registered nurses with less than 1 year of experience compose 10% of clinical nurses, with this number expected to grow as experienced nurses reduce working hours or retire (AL-Dossary, Kitsantas, & Maddox, 2014). Goss (2015) set the cost to recruit and train one new nurse at $62,100-$67,000. The Institute of Medicine (2010) recommended implementation of nurse residency programs (NRPs) as a strategy to reduce nurse turnover by supporting the transition into professional practice. Changes in academic preparation of nurses reinforced the need for continued education, and support through NRPs was seen as critical to developing and integrating newly licensed nurses into the healthcare team (Shinners, Ashlock, & Brooks, 2014).
Objectives of the Systematic Review
Objectives of this systematic review were as follows:
1. Determine effectiveness of NRPs in reducing the attrition of new nurses.
2. If NRPs are effective, identify best practice in supporting newly licensed nurses during the transition to professional practice in the acute care setting.
Methods for Conducting the Systematic Review
Medline, CINAHL, OvidSP, and the Cochrane Collaborative databases were searched for relevant literature January 2011-September 2014. Key words included new graduate nurse, transition to practice, newly licensed nurse, and residency...