Support Programs for New Graduates in Pediatric Nursing

Abstract

This study examined intent to stay and the relationship between work satisfaction and burnout in a sample of new registered nurse graduates hired at a freestanding children's hospital. The following research questions were addressed: (1) Two years after initial employment, what is the percentage of new graduates who intend to stay on the job? (2) Is there a relationship between work satisfaction and burnout? (3) What is the turnover rate after the implementation of a support group program for new registered nurses? Of a target group of 75 new graduate nurses, 33 (44%) completed a modified version of Aiken's Revised Nursing Work Index and the Maslach Burnout Inventory. A majority of the registered nurses intended to stay on the job, with 87.9% reporting that they were satisfied with their current position and 97.0% reporting that they were satisfied with being a nurse. The correlation between job satisfaction and burnout was as follows: r = -0.684, F(1,30) = -21.71; p < .001. Of the participants, 39% reported an increase in the amount of time they spent with patients over the year, 27% reported an increase in the amount of time they spent documenting patient care, and 24% reported that the "quality of care" they were providing was better than 1 year ago. Before the implementation of a support group program for new graduates in 2006, the turnover rate was 7.6%; in 2009, the turnover rate was 5.7%.

Quality of care and health professional burnout: narrative literature review

“…Nurse burnout has been associated with cost-reduction measures that result in shorter stays for patients and a greater nursing-intensity (Kanai-Pak et al, 2008). Messmer et al, (2010) found that allocating resources to support new nursing graduates improves retention and prevents burnout, and recommended that structured orientation programmes be continued despite current economic constraints to integrate nurse graduates into the nursing workforce.…”

New graduates’ readiness for practice in Swaziland: An exploration of stakeholders’ perspectives

“…The context includes both the physical and social environments within which nurses are trained and practice after graduation. To compensate for preparation limitations, most nursing bodies require that graduates undergo a transitory program before licensure, such as nurse residency or internship programs [13,29] preparing the nurse before leaving the nest [21] . Graduate programs, such as preceptorship [2,22] and remunerated community service [30] which are designed to socialize graduates into their new roles and environments, could be valuable for professional maturity and patient safety [31] .…”

Job satisfaction, burnout, and stress among pediatric nurses in various specialty units at an acute care hospital

“…The pediatric nurses working in certain specialty areas, such as the critical care unit or hematology/oncology unit are thought to be more susceptible to burnout. The pediatric oncology nurses reported to have significantly lower level of personal accomplishment in burnout scale compared to adult oncology nurses and one-third of nurses in neonatal intensive care unit reported symptoms of burnout [17][18][19] .…”

“…After an implementation of nursing support program, the turnover rate among new pediatric nurses declined [19] . The pediatric critical care nurses who perceived themselves as well-prepared and had the ability to care for dying patients reported higher compassion satisfaction and lower burnout [20] .…”