Nurturing Novice Nurses: Effect of a Nurse Residency Program on Nursing Retention

BACKGROUND: Nurse residency programs (NRPs) are designed to support new graduate nurses in their transition from academia to professional practice and also improve job satisfaction and retention. Many studies highlight these benefits within the first year of nursing practice. The goal of this study is to show the longer-term effect of NRPs at 1, 2, and 3 years. METHOD: This retrospective cohort study compared two Midwestern hospitals, one with a 12-month compulsory NRP and one without, using data from 2018 to 2020 to minimize academic disruptions related to coronavirus disease 2019. RESULTS: The hospital with an NRP had a significantly higher 3-year retention rate (55%) versus the hospital without an NRP (35.2%), suggesting that NRPs help improve retention, reduce turnover costs, and promote workforce stability. CONCLUSION: The study found that NRPs significantly improve new graduate nurse retention and ease the academic to practice transition. Enhanced retention may reduce costly turnover, saving hospitals millions in recruitment and training expenses. Therefore, NRPs are a cost-effective investment in nursing workforce strength and care quality.