Orientation program for transition of newly recruited nurses to the psychiatric setting

BACKGROUND: Transition of nurses towards readiness for practice has been increasingly gaining attention from many organizations, because it is closely associated with retention challenges and competency requirements. Though structured orientation programs are conducted by many organizations, literatures examining the effectiveness of such programs on transition into practice for newly recruited nurses are limited.

METHOD: This study employed a descriptive, pre-test, post-test design. 30 registered and enrolled nurses engaged in an orientation program comprising of 1-day program that acquaints new staff with the organization and 3 other days relating to mental health within the first month of their employment Pre-test and post-test data were collected on the Casey-Fink Readiness for Practice Survey and TCM Employee Commitment Survey.

RESULTS: Participant’s readiness and commitment were generally high to begin with and improved after the orientation program. Participants were uncomfortable when asked to perform venipuncture. The same sign of uneasiness was observed during and after the orientation program when participating nurses were asked to respond to emergencies.

CONCLUSION: This study contributes to the knowledge base regarding the important aspects of orientation programs and the outcomes relating to nurses’ transition to professional practice.