Transition Within a Graduate Nurse Residency Program
Authors: Varner Kendra D. , Leeds Ruth A. 
Published: October 2012

How to Obtain Contact Hours by Reading This Issue

Instructions: 2.3contact hours will be awarded for this activity. A contact hour is 60 minutes of instruction. This is a Learner-paced Program. Vindico Medical Education does not require submission of the quiz answers. A contact hour certificate will be awarded 4–6 weeks following receipt of your completed Registration Form, including the Evaluation portion. To obtain contact hours:

1.

Read the article, “Transition Within a Graduate Nurse Residency Program,” on pages 491–499, carefully noting the tables and other illustrative materials that are provided to enhance your knowledge and understanding of the content.

2.

Read each question and record your answers. After completing all questions, compare your answers to those provided within this issue.

3.

Type or print your full name and address and your Social Security number in the spaces provided on the Registration Form. Indicate the total time spent on the activity (reading article and completing quiz). Forms and quizzes cannot be processed if this section is incomplete. All participants are required by the accreditation agency to attest to the time spent completing the activity.

4.

Forward the completed Registration Form with your check or money order for $20 made payable toJCEN-CNE. Payment must be in U.S. dollars drawn on a U.S. bank. This activity is valid from November 1, 2012 to October 31, 2014.

Vindico Medical Education, LLC is accredited as a provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.

This activity is co-provided by Vindico Medical Education and TheJournal ofContinuingEducation inNursing.

Objectives:

After studying the article, “Transition Within a Graduate Nurse Residency Program,” in this issue, the participant will:

1.

Explain how nursing role transition theory was incorporated into the nurse residency program (NRP) design.

2.

Discuss elements essential for a positive transition to practice experience within an NRP.

3.

Describe positive outcomes associated with a successful NRP.

4.

Discuss challenges associated with NRP evaluation.

Author Disclosure Statement

The authors disclose that they have no significant financial interests in any product or class of products discussed directly or indirectly in this activity, including research support.

Commercial Support Statement

All author(s) and planners have agreed that this activity will be free of bias.

There is no commercial company support for this activity. There is no noncommercial support for this activity.

As evidence of the effectiveness of these programs grows, nurse leaders feel the pressure to establish high-quality, yet cost-effective graduate nurse transition programs. In 2009, the authors developed an innovative program by incorporating transition theory, research results, stakeholder involvement, and the recommendations of the National Council of State Boards of Nursing. The graduate nurse residency program yielded positive outcomes, including stakeholder satisfaction and high retention rates.