Nurse Residency Program for Retention - Essay Example

Running Head: Nurse Residency Program as a Function of Retention Nurse Residency Program as a Function of Retention March 2009 Your Name Course Professor 06 March 2009 Nurse Residency Program as a Function of Retention Introduction The Nurse Residency Programs (NRPs) have been identified as a key approach by several national organizations in the recruitment as well as retention of graduate nurses NRPs aims to address an upsetting pattern of nurses who leaves their initial job in the period of their first 1-3 years of practice (Healthcare Advisory Board, 2001). As an offshoot to the said issue, Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare based in Milwaukee, WI, as well as The Meriter Hospital, Madison, WI, carried out NRPs in cardiac/critical care nursing and medical-surgical respectively. Literatures revealed that several existing residency programs are exceedingly variable in structure as well as structured upon customary learning designs. Beginning March 2000, both the University HealthSystem Consortium (UHC) as well as American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) tied up and have worked to enlarge strategies which can address the nursing shortage, enhance the expertise among nursing workforce, reduce practice errors, and also to minimize the burnout brought about by stress beneath prepared professional nurses. Moreover, a small body of research confronts issue about the training for clinical practice and the job satisfaction of the new nurses. Until today new nurse graduates have expressed the difficulty adjusting to the roles demonstrated when in the acute care setting. The Problem The UHC and AACN in joint venture with Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education with an impartial panel were able to developed accreditation standards intended for nurse residency programs and this move have been commented by the public (University HealthSystem Consortium, 2007). In 2002, a study conducted by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, found that health care employers recognize newly licensed RNs as not fully prepared to execute common tasks in a fundamental practice setting. Employers view new RNs as more than ever deficient in recognizing abnormal physical as well as diagnostic findings, supervising care provided by others, responding to emergencies, and in psychomotor skills. The UHC and AACN are in the opinion that it is extremely challenging for nursing schools to prepare new graduates to effort in the field of acute care hospital environment since there is high level of patient acuity. UHC conducted a study (2000) to discover what additional assistance was being offered to fresh graduate nurses employed in UHC hospitals. Similarly, about eighty-five percent (85%) of the respondents noted that they had an extended program in order to prepare new graduates to become skillful practitioners; but, the survey revealed that there was no uniformity programs offered. The previously mentioned programs varied in length, curriculum, and content, particularly the clinical content that ranged from 20% to 100%. Also, same study reiterated that more training and support is required for new nurses in order improve reduce turnover, job satisfaction, and enhance skills very significant to patient safety. The shortage of experienced nurses simply suggests that recent graduates are becoming gradually more critical to providing sufficient staffing and emphasizes the need for a standardized curriculum. Through a mutual interest in creating a substantially different program and a desire to share experiences and collaborate between systems, a common definition emerged. A NRP was defined as a joint partnership between academia and practice that is a learner-focused, postgraduate experience designed to support the development of competency in nursing practice. The role of the academic partner is to aid in the development of the theoretical framework and conduct the research-based program evaluation, whereas the role of the practice partner is to actualize and guide the program itself. This partnership is essential in the transition from academia to practice. Academic partners in this endeavor were Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI (Wheaton), and Edgewood College, Madison, WI (Meriter). Purpose of the Study This research attempts to search for Effective Nurse Residency Programs available in selected hospitals and the functions it play for newly graduated nurses' job retention. Specifically it is directed to achieve the following aims: 1. Find out if Effective Nurse Residency Programs like Team Training Approach and "Pay-for-Performance" Strategies are available in Selected Hospitals of 2. Measure the level of accessibility of nurses to Nurse Residency Programs in terms of Team Training Approach and "Pay-for-Performance" Strategies. 3. Establish relationship between the level of accessibility of Nurse Residency Programs in selected hospitals and Job Retention of Nurses 4. Explore on the interferences exist in the implementation of Nurse Residency Programs in selected hospitals. 5. Determine how satisfied the Nurses on their Employer's Nurse Residency Programs are. Statement of the Problem The study is directed to determine if support network programs for graduate nurses and programs for enhancement of graduate nurses learning is available or not. This way, mastery of clinical skills as well as improvement of their professional competency can be better assured. Aside from that, the study will determine the effective interventions of hospital administrators to increase retention of newly graduated nurses. Moreover, at the end of study, it will provide answers to the following questions: 1. Is there available Effective Nurse Residency Programs in selected hospitals based on: a. Team Training Approach b. "Pay-for-Performance" Strategies 2. What is the level of accessibility of nurses to Nurse Residency Programs in terms of a. Team Training Approach b. "Pay-for-Performance" Strategies 3. Does Nurse Residency Programs in selected hospitals significantly improved job retention of Nurses 4. What interferences exist in the implementation of Nurse Residency Programs in selected hospitals 5. How satisfied are the Nurses on their Employer's Nurse Residency Programs Hypotheses In connection to the above formulated questions, hypotheses below are stated accordingly: Ho1: Nurse Residency Programs in selected hospitals does not significantly improved job retention of Nurses. Ho2: Nurses are not satisfied in the Nurse Residency Programs of the Hospital. Significance of the Study The research outcomes will benefit Hospitals and Other Health Institutions. It will instigate stakeholders from different health and nursing institutions. It can set forth structure partnerships and enhance learning among health practitioners. These institutions are also accountable in adhering to standards of proficiency. The health care practitioners like nurses can focus and engage on development and learning. The study will foster recreation of the culture of health care delivery in order to value team-based care and must begin at the initial point of intervention. Definitions of terms To clarify the concepts presented in the study, the terms reflected below are defined operationally: Effective Nurse Residency Programs is one year program based on a built evidence-based curriculum which meets national residency standards, whereby, nurse residency uses a sequence of learning as well as work experiences to assist graduate nurses for the transition into their first or early professional positions. Team Training Approach also called the support teamwork development, an important factor in decreasing or reducing the risk of medical error. "Pay-for-Performance" Strategies one approach that may provide an innovative opportunity to align incentives necessary for increasing safety as well as improving quality and/or patient outcomes. Review of Literature There is a critical need for well-educated nurses who are skilled in evidence-based practice and comfortable in the use of nursing outcomes data to advance patient safety and care. Newly graduated nurses have bigger and greater responsibility for patient care at early stage in their careers than in the past. Reform in acute care hospitals must be visible by training and assisting new graduates. The residency program has proven performance level of new graduates, preventing care omissions at the same time helping to ensure timely, suitable interventions to rescue the patient, thus, lessening safety and quality concerns. The nurse residency program is patterned to increase job satisfaction and also reinforce professional commitment in relation to nursing profession, with contribution to the long-range aims of alleviating the nursing shortage. Every NRP was built as an add-on to already existing nursing orientation programs. The common principle of "knowing the learner" structured an assessment of learning application of learning style inventories. Important assessment of the participant's learning style as well as personality characteristics was done using the Learning Style (Kolb, 1999), Multiple Intelligence (Gardner, 1983), and Myers-Briggs Personality (Myers, et. al 1998) Inventories. These tools can enhance the facilitators' understanding about specific needs and learning qualities of the nurse residents. Recruitment and Retention Enhancement in recruitment and retention is often the vital indicator of any NRP. Incremental improvements in the professional nursing behaviors were established 6 and 12 months through the six-dimensional scale. The subscales are the measuring teaching and collaboration, interpersonal communication, critical care, planning and evaluation, leadership skills, professional development, and managing outcomes were in the same way incrementally improved. Design of the study The study would use the descriptive research design. According to Good (2000), descriptive research describes current conditions about or concerning the nature of theparticipants or subjects. It also involves procedures which involve induction analysis, sorting, coding, enumeration and measurement. Also, the survey method will be conducted; questionnaire will be the foremost tool for collection of data. In view of the fact that, the exploration intends to collect quantitative data, this survey method is appropriate to employ. The survey research is frequently used in quantitative research whereby documents are administered from large or small population. Sampling Procedures The target population will be taken from the selected hospitals of the State of _________ Participants will be chosen in non random sampling, mainly through purposive sampling approach; this is so, since the target samples of the study will be the 32 staff nurses. The exact number of respondents will depend on the actual number of nurses hired in each hospital. Basically, if the population is plenty enough, Slovin's equation in statistics is applied to determine sample size. Data Collection Plan To start the research, initially, researcher will determine the hospitals in the local setting and will send letter for request of approval to the hospital administrators. This can be done by sending notice about the research plan and will request for their consent. A period of about seven to eight (7-8) months will be budgeted allotted for this research. A self-made, validity and reliability checked questionnaire will be administered. Collation, analysis and interpretation of data will be the next steps. REFERENCES Alfaro-LeFevre, R. "Critical thinking and clinical judgment: A practical approach". St. Louis, MO: Saunders. 2004. American Organization of Nurse Executives. "Acute care hospital survey of RN vacancy and turnover rates" accessed March 2009 < www.wha.org/workForce/pdf/aone-urveyrnvacancy.pdf> Argyris, C., & Schon, D. "Organizational learning: II." A theory of action perspective. Reading, MA: Addison Wesley. 1996. Benner, P. "From novice to expert." Menlo Park, CA: Addison Wesley. 1984 Gardner, H. "Frames of mind: The theory of multiple intelligences." New York: Basic Books. 1983 Goode, C., & Williams, C. "Post-baccalaureate nurse residency program." Journal of Nursing Administration, 32(2), 71-77. 2004. Healthcare Advisory Board. "Hardwiring right retention". Washington, DC: Healthcare Advisory Board.2001. Herdrich, B., Lindsay, A. "Community learning design" [Diagram]. Washington, DC: The Library of Congress.2005. Herdrich, P., Lindsay, A., & Herdrich, B. "Action learning in a professional practice community " [Diagram]. Washington, DC: The Library of Congress.2005. Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. "Health care at the crossroads: Strategies for addressing the evolving nursing crisis." Accessed March 2009. " Kolb, D. "The Kolb Learning Style Inventory (Version 3)" Boston: Experienced Based Learning Systems. Myers, I., McCaulley, M., Quenk, N., & Hammer, A. (1998). "MBTI manual: A guide to the development and use of the Myers Briggs type indicator." (3rd ed). Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press. Nursing Executive Watch. "Hospitals exploring nurse residencies to improve retention." Washington, DC: Healthcare Advisory Board.2002. Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. "Healthcare human crisis: The American nursing shortage. " Accessed March 2003 Rosenfeld, P., Smith, M., Lervolino, L., & Bowar-Ferres, S. "Nurse residency program: A 5-year evaluation from the participants' perspective." Journal of Nursing Administration, 34(4), 188-194. 2004. Read More