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Hawai’i State Center for Nursing achieves stellar retention success with Nurse Residency

April 21, 2023
April 21, 2023

In 2020 at the height of the pandemic, the Hawai’i State Center for Nursing brought on HealthStream as a new vendor to expand their existing Nurse Residency program. By 2022, they had a 99% completion and retention rate1 for new nurse graduates, surpassing the national average that had hit 73% due to the pressures of the pandemic. In an upcoming article, we’ll explore how the standardized programming and data analytics capabilities of Nurse Residency made the difference in expanding their training and support efforts.

Perhaps even more astonishingly, their enrollment in the Hawai’i Nurse Residency Program (HNRP) increased by 351% from 2020 to 2021, helping to stem a shortage issue that was otherwise afflicting healthcare facilities nationwide during this time. According to The New Graduate RN Workforce Survey2 released by the Hawai’i State Center for Nursing, the data suggested new graduates who receive transition to practice support are more likely to stay at their jobs. When surveyed, 55% of new nurses in acute care settings indicated “very likely” or “likely” to stay, as compared to 14% in long-term care facilities or 46% in ambulatory settings.

While the data clearly shows the program to be a success, the stories of the day-to-day successes have been promising as well – hospitals who implemented the program have felt the benefits of statewide standardization of a transition to practice program. For instance, having the structure and framework in place to build a rich learning environment has encouraged the creation of local communities for nurse educators to provide support and resources. These facilities have also begun utilizing the tremendous data the program generate by tracking cohort progression to determine areas of need. Preceptors also report increased satisfaction in their roles with the training provided by the HNRP, which has helped with the increasing need for preceptors statewide. The satisfaction level of preceptors is very important to the overall success of any transition to practice program. By feeling engaged, preceptors create inviting and supportive programs that foster critical thinking skills.

The transition to practice can be very challenging for new nurses. Without support, they tend to burn out easily, or seek employment with a facility where they feel they may receive more guidance or access to training. This is particularly important as future cohorts with changing educational needs continue to populate the nursing profession. The HNRP is an investment in the new clinician’s learning journey, one that provides longevity within the healthcare community and skills spanning a variety of clinical areas.

The success achieved by the Hawai’i State Center for Nursing serves as a bellwether and model for future successful state nursing programs nationwide.

 

1  https://www.nsinursingsolutions.com/Documents/Library/NSI_National_Health_Care_Retention_Report.pdf
2 https://www.hawaiicenterfornursing.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Hawaiis-New-Graduate-Nursing-Workforce-v.Final_.pdf