Long-Term Care Nurse Residency Program: Evaluation of New Nurse Experiences and Lessons Learned

Transitioning to long-term care environments presents a significant challenge for new nurses and their directors of nursing. The complexity of this environment, instability of the workforce, and the lack of support structures frequently affect a new nurse's decision not to apply to long-term care, but to look for positions in acute care hospitals. To address these issues, a long-term care new nurse residency program was developed, implemented, and evaluated in New Jersey through the work of the New Jersey Action Coalition. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of the residency program on new nurses' confidence, competence, retention, job satisfaction, and perceptions of organizational safety.