New Graduate Nursing Essay

Transitioning from nursing school to working in the hospital can be challenging for a new graduate. As a result of the nursing shortage, new graduate nurses are being hired with little to no experience. This can be overwhelming for new nurses, especially when they lack support and proper training from their employers. The amount of stress, pressure and lack of training results to a high turnover rate for new graduate nurses. According to Shellenbarger & Robb, 13% of new RNs change jobs after only one year, further aggravating the nurse vacancy rate and leading to unnecessary hospital expenditure (Shellenbarger & Robb 2016). The question is, why are nurses leaving the profession after completing their education and obtaining a position working in the field? With growing demands of healthcare
Often nursing students and new graduates enter the field not fully prepared for the challenges in the field of nursing. “New nurses who aren’t adequately prepared may struggle with job demands and express dissatisfaction with career choice.” (Shellenbarger & Robb 2016). Job dissatisfaction is one of the many reasons why nurses leave their professions and change careers. Considering that not only are nurse turnovers expensive for hospitals, but that they also add to the growing nursing shortage. There should be more efforts placed to retain nurses by increasing satisfaction and ensuring an understanding of the demands of the profession prior to entry.
Nursing education ensures that students will enter the workforce prepared for the demanding field of nursing. One way that nursing education can be effective in decreasing the probability of turnovers is to implement a mentor system. Mentoring is a, “reciprocal relationship between two or more people that involves counseling, guiding, sharing knowledge,