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* This retrospective, cross-sectional research study used secondary data analysis of 3,484 new graduate nurses to examine the relative influence of one-to-one and group mentoring on transition to practice, professional development, stress management, comfort as a staff nurse, and turnover intention.
* Individuals receiving one-toone mentoring rated the experience higher in helping transition to practice, professional development, and stress management.
* There was no significant relationship between type of mentoring and comfort as a staff nurse or turnover intention; however, nurses with a high degree of discomfort as a staff nurse were significantly more likely to have a high intent to turnover.
Nurse residency programs (NRPs) are designed to promote professional socialization of new graduates with the goals of increasing patient safety, promoting clinical competency, improving job satisfaction, and reducing turnover. Professional socialization occurs with or without NRPs; however, with a structured orientation and transition, the new graduate experiences more controlled and intentional learning experiences. As NRPs become the standard for transitioning new graduate nurses (NGNs), the need to validate improved new graduate outcomes, patient outcomes, and return on investment (ROI) in these programs has increased (Goode, Ponte, & Havens, 2016; Windey, 2017).
There is great variability in the strategies and interventions used in transition programs and residencies in the United States (Barnett, Minnick, & Norman, 2014; Rush, Adamack, Gordon, Lilly, & Janke, 2013). In particular, the use of preceptors in NRPs is common and the value of preceptor relationships in NRPs has been frequently evidenced (Barnett et al., 2014; Pine & Tart, 2007; Watkins, Hart, & Mareno, 2016). In contrast, the evaluation of mentoring in NRPs has been mixed (Halfer, Graf, & Sullivan, 2008; Mills & Mullins, 2008). Although preceptorship is a common element of almost all NRPs (Goode et al., 2013; Rush et al., 2013), use of mentoring in a recent review of 94 U.S. residency programs found only 39.4% used mentors (Barnett et al., 2014). Program variability, as well as the cost difference between one-to-one and group mentoring, supports further examination of mentoring as an element of nurse residencies.
The purpose of this study was to examine the relative influence of two types of intentional mentoring on NGN transition: one-to-one mentoring, where a single mentor is assigned to a...