Australia’s first transition to professional practice in primary care program for graduate registered nurses: a pilot study

Abstract

BackgroundIncreases in ageing, chronic illness and complex co-morbidities in the Australian population are adding pressure to the primary care nursing workforce. Initiatives to attract and retain nurses are needed to establish a sustainable and skilled future primary care nursing workforce. We implemented a transition to professional practice program in general practice settings for graduate nurses and evaluated graduate nurse competency, the graduate nurse experience and program satisfaction. This study aimed to determine whether a transition to professional practice program implemented in the general practice setting led to competent practice nurses in their first year post-graduation.MethodsA longitudinal, exploratory mixed-methods design was used to assess the pilot study. Data were collected at three times points (3, 6, 12 months) with complete data sets from graduate nurses (n = 4) and preceptors (n = 7). We assessed perceptions of the graduates’ nursing competency and confidence, satisfaction with the preceptor/graduate relationship, and experiences and satisfaction with the program. Graduate nurse competency was assessed using the National Competency Standards for Nurses in General Practice. Semi-structured interviews with participants at Time 3 sought information about barriers, enablers, and the perceived impact of the program.ResultsGraduate nurses were found to be competent within their first year of clinical practice. Program perceptions from graduate nurses and preceptors were positive and the relationship between the graduate nurse and preceptor was key to this development.ConclusionsWith appropriate support registered nurses can transition directly into primary care and are competent in their first year post-graduation. While wider implementation and research is needed, findings from this study demonstrate the potential value of transition to professional practice programs within primary care as a nursing workforce development strategy.

Experiences of registered nurses in a general practice-based new graduate program: a qualitative study

“…The findings of this study support previous research that general practice employment offers an attractive career option for new graduate nurses Peters et al 2015;Aggar et al 2017;Thomas et al 2018). While some participants indicated an intention to gain future acute care employment, they did not feel that a primary care transition program was a barrier to this.…”

“…New graduate participants emphasised the value they placed on the support provided by their mentors and builds on previous research relating to mentoring in diverse new graduate workplaces Dadiz & Guillet, 2015;McInnes et al 2015b;Tracey and McGowan 2015) (Aggar et al 2017;Bloomfield et al 2018). Studies into mentoring in acute care settings support findings from this study that mentors must be involved in establishing expectations for the mentee, and are provided with support to mentor effectively (Kalischuk et al 2013;Staykova et al 2013).…”

“…Until recently, recruitment and retention strategies have largely focused on employing registered nurses from the acute care sector (Ashley et al 2016). However, there have been some PHC new graduate (NG) transition programs developed, such as those offered in New Zealand (Gibbs 2010;Pearson and Holloway 2006) and more recently in Australia (Aggar et al 2017;Thomas et al 2018), with the aim to attract new graduates directly into PHC employment.…”

Work readiness, transition, and integration: The challenge of specialty practice

“…Based on the results of a self-assessment scale and a knowledge test, Zeinab Abou El-Fotoh, Elmolla, and Abdeen (2016) concluded implementation of a transition programme for new nurses had a positive effect on their "competency skills' performance and knowledge immediately and at three months postprogramme" (p. 225). Aggar, Bloomfield, Thomas, and Gordon (2017) likewise found that that transition to practice programmes facilitated graduate nurse competency and suggested they were a viable health human resource strategy.…”

Supporting new graduate registered nurse transition for safety: A literature review update

“…With all the challenges that burden NGRNs during transition from student to practising clinician, many recent studies have shown that a transition program provides that added layer of support and guidance that fledgling NGRNs need with clinical decision making and skill development (Aggar, Bloomfield, Thomas, & Gordon, 2017;Ankers et al, 2018;Blevins, 2018;Gazaway et al, 2016;Henderson et al, 2015;Kavanagh & Szweda, 2017;Lea & Cruickshank, 2017;Ortiz, 2016;Patterson, Boyd, & Mnatzaganian, 2017;Voldbjerg et al, 2017;Walton, Lindsay, Hales, & Rook, 2018). These programs have shown to enhance socialisation into the workplace, advance skill development, and reduce uncertainty with the presence of dedicated senior nurses on hand to contact when uncertainty arises (Ankers et al, 2018;Blevins, 2018).…”