Commentary – The Nursing Workforce: Who Will Be Left to Answer the Call?

The transition from student to practitioner for newly graduated nurses is impacted by their physical, social, professional, and practice environments. COVID-19, global insecurity, institutional restructuring, and "acute on chronic" staffing shortages have increased the immediate burden experienced by emerging nurses. As detailed through the historical development of Duchscher's Stages of Transition Theory and Transition Shock Model, theorization of the transition process offers graduates, their educators, and workplace managers key areas of support opportunities for these new practitioners. In part 1 of a 2-part article series, this article explores how novel new graduate supports have been developed and delivered in partnership with nonprofit groups, government bodies, and employers across much of Canada. For nurse stakeholders, theorists, and beyond, support for the transition period of new nurses remains anecdotally, evidentially, and fiscally advisable, with an increasing urgency due to rising human capital pressures.

Section: Situating New Graduate Transitionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nursing the Future

Duchscher

Corneau

2023

“…We suggest that partnerships between government, institutional, professional, regulatory, and other representative groups are required to foster meaningful and engaged dialogue that begins and ends with the evidence on NGN transition and entry to practice challenges. While we witness escalating rates of attrition internationally through the loss of new and seasoned nurses, it is imperative that we focus as fervently on the retention of our nurses as we do on their recruitment 9–11. NGNs require transition supports to endure current professional challenges, and it can be argued that these can be provided through an evidence-driven, sustainable, and cost-effective means; NTF works.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…While we witness escalating rates of attrition internationally through the loss of new and seasoned nurses, it is imperative that we focus as fervently on the retention of our nurses as we do on their recruitment. [9][10][11] NGNs require transition supports to endure current professional challenges, and it can be argued that these can be provided through an evidence-driven, sustainable, and cost-effective means; NTF works.…”

Section: Shock Absorbersmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nursing The Future 2.0

Duchscher

Corneau

2023

For newly graduated nurses (NGNs), the characteristically challenging and dynamic period of transition from student to professional practitioner is being further strained by global crises and the uncertainty and insecurity they motivate, health care systems and institutional restructuring, and extreme workload burdens. A novel approach to aiding the transition of NGNs is detailed in this article, culminating in the offering of an inclusive framework of potential strategies aimed at supporting NGNs and those who lead, manage, and educate them. This approach outlines strategies of support deliverable by both centralized and local means and acknowledging contemporary needs such as workload burdens and generationally-sensitive employee needs. Nursing The Future is a platform that uniquely situates an evidence-based, grassroots-driven response to the needs of NGNs, while encouraging collaborative partnering of health care institutions with governmental, professional, and regional advanced education bodies. This is the second article in a 2-part series that builds on the historical and developmental intents of Nursing The Future as an organization and outlines how evidence-informed, creative, and affordable grassroots-driven supports may be offered to NGNs for the purpose of sustaining and advancing our future nurse professionals.

“…Strategies to increase workforce capacity such as international recruitment, educational seat expansions, financial incentives, and relocation bonuses have been utilized; however, these traditional approaches have had mixed effectiveness. 3 Stevenson et al 3 argued for new approaches such as establishing supportive new graduate initiatives and collaboration among stakeholders accountable for the overall nursing workforce (ie, PSIs, government, employers, and regulators) as the key to addressing the nursing shortage in the postpandemic era.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Concurrently for postsecondary institutions (PSIs), the ability to graduate nursing students was jeopardized as many of them either missed clinical hours or clinical placements were cancelled. Nurse absenteeism, burnout, and attrition, coupled with a disruption to the regular number of graduating nurses ready to enter the workforce, became the foremost problem for health care systems 2–4…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

The Creation of a Novel Undergraduate Nursing Employee/Student Hybrid Role in the COVID-19 Response

Shajani

Laing

Robinson

et al. 2023

The COVID-19 pandemic impacted nursing education and health care systems alike. Increases in staff absenteeism along with increased hospitalizations have strained health systems across the globe. Postsecondary institutions (PSIs) were required to remove students from clinical placements, thus delaying nursing students' ability to complete their programs, and in turn, contributing to the nursing workforce challenges. Health care organizations and PSIs had to collaborate innovatively to support the health care response to the pandemic while continuing to educate and graduate students to expand the nursing workforce. In Alberta, the collaboration between the health system and PSIs led to the creation of an undergraduate nursing employee/student hybrid (UNE/Hybrid) role. This role was not only a response to the nursing workforce challenges created by the pandemic, but it provided nursing students with positive learning clinical placements ensuring that they completed their program in a timely manner. This role was designed to assist with the fourth wave of the pandemic (omicron variant), which was expected to be the most severe wave in terms of hospitalizations and increased staff absences. The UNE/Hybrid role allowed nursing students to complete the required learning for their final preceptorships and/or complete leadership placements in a paid role while being integrated into the unit culture and becoming part of the team. The initiative's results, including its successes, challenges, and lessons, are discussed.