Statistics show up to 57% of new nurses leave, or intend to leave, their job within the first two years of clinical practice. This is due to the high levels of stress, related to workload, lack of confidence and feelings of incompetence (Sandler, 2020). Supporting new nurses during this transitional period into clinical practice can help alleviate these feelings of stress and build their confidence (Powers et al., 2019; Sandler, 2020). Nurse educators and preceptors have an important role in facilitating the transition to practice of new graduate nurses that we will explore in this critical forum.
Enjoy this fun video by Nurse Blake as he makes light of how it feels to transition from nursing school to professional practice! Does this video remind you of your transition to practice?
Definitions
Mentor:
Has been used interchangeably with other similar terms throughout the years; most often refers to a long-term, caring, professional relationship where the person with more experience and wisdom acts as a guide and support for the inexperienced person (Melrose et al., 2021).
Preceptor:
a skilled professional assigned to a student for a short time to assess and develop clinical skills and performance (Melrose et al., 2021).
Transition to Practice Programs:
Programs are designed to provide support to new nurses, make them comfortable in their new role and decrease burnout (Graf et al., 2020).