Strengthening New Graduate Nurse Residency Programs in Critical Care: Recommendations From Nurse Residents and Organizational Stakeholders

Background: Thirty-four new graduate nurses participated in a critical care nurse residency program in preparation for opening a new intensive care unit. At the end of the program, multi-constituent focus groups were held to assess program effectiveness. Method: Participants included 34 new graduate nurses, 18 preceptors and staff nurse partners, five clinical nurse specialists, and five nurse directors. Twelve focus groups were held; groups included four to eight nurses from the same role group. Two independent reviewers analyzed recordings and transcripts of focus group content to identify themes. Results: Five themes were identified: program design, developing nursing expertise, program impact on the unit, future expectations, and communication. Comments were used to guide program improvements and offer new insights for residency programs in acute and critical care. Conclusion: Obtaining structured input from multiple program stakeholders is beneficial in evaluating a program's impact and identifying areas for improvement.