Preparing New Graduate Nurses: An Investigation of Nurse Residency Programs on Improving Nurse Quality and Safety

Nurse residency programs promote quality of nursing care through standardization of evidence-based nursing practice and support the new nurse transition from academic to the clinical setting. Substantial evidence demonstrates that nurse residency programs improve nurse outcomes such as retention, satisfaction, and competence; however, little is known or studied about the impact on patient outcomes related to the quality and safety of nursing care. The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to evaluate the impact of the implementation of nurse residency programs on subsequent improvements in objectively measured nurse quality and safety pediatric outcomes among a sample of U.S. children’s hospitals.