An educational intervention to enhance nurse practitioner role transition in the first year of practice

Abstract

Background and Purpose: Role transition is a natural process that occurs when the registered nurse pursues additional education to become a nurse practitioner (NP). Role transition generates feelings of anxiety and insecurity, leading to a longer and more tumultuous adjustment. This study investigated whether an evidence-based role transition webinar would support NP role transition during this critical period. Methods: This study was a nonrandomized, pretest–posttest, and single-group study using a convenience sample to address the research question: “Does completion of a role transition webinar enhance the perception of new NPs of their ability to perform well in their role?” Conclusions: The educational webinar was shown to have a positive influence on some aspects of the participant's reported perceptions of NP role transition. Having practical and assessable educational interventions to optimize NP role transition and determining factors that contribute to the success of these interventions would be prudent. Implications for Practice: This is the first quantitative study to investigate the positive association between an online educational intervention and NP role transition. A timelier and less tumultuous transition would allow NPs to perform more effectively in their new role.

Strategies to promote the professional transition of new graduate nurse practitioners: A systematic review

“…Those who completed the VA fellowship program reported that the professional development activities the program offered contributed to a smoother professional transition . The online intervention focused on providing new graduates with evidence about the challenges of the transition period, thus socializing them to the demands of their new roles; however, results did not support this intervention as linked to improved role transition …”

“…Table details the characteristics of the included studies. Four articles representing three studies examined fellowship program interventions and one considered a webinar intervention . Sample sizes ranged from 7 to 36 .…”

“…Practice environments included six Veterans Administration (VA) primary care sites and one primary care federally qualified health care center. One study delivered an online intervention and did not report participants’ practice environments, though all participants practiced in Midwestern states. Included studies range in publication year from 2014 to 2019.…”

“…Thompson measured the success of the intervention by comparing respondents’ scores on the Nurse Practitioner Role Transition Scale (NPRTS) before and after the intervention. Participants were provided an electronic link to the webinar and asked to watch it 1 to 2 weeks after taking a pre‐survey that included the NPRTS.…”

“…They were asked to complete the post‐survey with NPRTS 2 to 3 months after watching the webinar. This NPRTS has been used in several NP populations but has not been used in before‐after studies as Thompson employed the tool. Respondents’ mean NPRTS scores were not statistically significantly different after the intervention, suggesting that the intervention did not contribute to the improved professional transition of the NPs.…”