K E Y W O R D S : advance practice, curriculum design, NP residency program, transition to practice 1 PROBLEM STATEMENT The role of a nurse practitioner (NP) is evolving and continues to change with the evolution of health care and increasing complexity of the patient population. With NPs now providing approximately 20%of primary care in the United States, it is evident that the role is expanding and has a vital position in health care. 2 With an increase in the number of NPs and demand for their expertise, it is important to explore whether NPs feel prepared for the demanding expectations and increasing complexities of role responsibilities. One strategy to address the question about role transition for novice NPs is the creation of NP residency programs. NP residencies offer an extra postgraduate experience to newly licensed NPs to include hands on training and mentorship in order to ease the transition from graduate school into professional practice. As NP residencies gain momentum and popularity in the UnitedStates, it has become clear that there is no standardized framework for these programs. Challenges related to such programs include title, content, funding, preceptors, and perceptions of readiness to practice.The development of NP residencies has sparked controversy as well.Educational programs as well as some experienced NPs feel that residency programs undermine the rigorous educational preparation required to become a certified NP, and requiring additional training implies that NPs are not prepared to practice. 2 With a lack of NP residency program research related to need, structure, curriculum, and patient outcomes, it is apparent that these programs need further investigation. The goal of this study is to explore the perceptions of practicing NPs who have already experienced transition into practice regarding the need and necessary content for an NP residency program. The data collected may also help clarifying what components practicing NPs identify as necessary for a residency curriculum in order to ensure successful transition, improve retention, and continue to provide high-quality patient-centered care. The research questions for this study are "What are the perceptions of practicing NPs regarding NP residency programs as a strategy for transitioning to practice?" and "What content do practicing NPs identify as important in a successful NP residency program?" The purpose of this article is to describe the perceptions of need for additional training for novice NPs and what content should be included in a program to ensure successful transition to practice. LITERATURE REVIEWA literature review was conducted utilizing the databases CINAHL Complete, Academic OneFile, as well as MEDLINE. The search terms used within these databases include NP residency, NP fellowship, NP perception, nurse residency programs, and transition into practice. These search terms yielded a limited number of peer-reviewed journal articles, all within the last decade, which may be attributed to the newness and limited resea...

Purpose: Gonad shielding is an important way to address the ‘as low as reasonably achievable’ (ALARA) requirement in radiography. However, its use relies on the attitudes of medical imaging technologists (MITs) to consistently adhere to professional conduct requirements relating to the application of gonad shielding. The purpose of this study was to investigate the attitudes of Western Australian (WA) MITs to the use of gonad shielding in general radiography and also to explore the variables influencing these attitudes. Methods: A questionnaire regarding MITs' attitudes towards gonad shielding was developed based on relevant literature and distributed to MITs working in general radiography employed by public and private clinical centres in WA metropolitan and rural regions. Descriptive (percentage of frequency, mean and standard deviation) and inferential statistics (chi‐square, t‐test and analysis of variance) were used to analyse the responses of the multiple choice (MC) and 5‐point scale questions from the returned questionnaires. Results: The questionnaire response rate was 44.6% (127/285). It was found that WA MITs perceived gonad shielding as important (mean: 3.8) and that adequate education had been provided (mean: 3.1). However, statistically significant attitude variations existed among MITs from different employment sectors (P < 0.01), equipment awareness (P < 0.05), genders (P < 0.005) and educational qualifications (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Overall, WA MITs have positive and appropriate attitudes to the use of gonad shielding in general radiography. However, statistically significant attitude variations existed among MITs. Possible directions for improvement include the provision of gonad shielding protocol in each x‐ray room in clinical departments and the enhancement of education and training of shielding application. This potentially will lead to improved consistency in the appropriate application of gonad protective shielding.