Ashlee Savoie & Jillana Herndl
Year 4 BSN students, University of Victoria in Partnership with Selkirk College

Enhancing the Confidence and Competence Required for a Sustainable Health Care System
Purpose:

Methods:

• The foundation of this leadership project is to better
understand the transition to practice experience for new
graduate nurses in our region.

1. Literature reviews were conducted to identify themes in the
transition experience from a broad lens of self efficacy and attrition.
2. Collaboration with a representative from the professional practice
office helped us gain insight into regional transition supports.

Background:
• Newly graduated registered nurses report high levels of
stress, adversity, burnout and anxiety during their transition
from student to graduate.
• These experiences are correlated with high attrition rates.

3. Engaged BSN students, Selkirk College faculty, and alumni in
research question deployed via Thought Exchange platform to gain
a regional perspective on the needs and concerns across the BSN
student to graduate nurse continuum.

• Emotional turbulence and high attrition rates persist even with
the implementation of formal transition support programs.

Results:
1. High quality mentorship between preceptor and preceptee
enhances self-efficacy. Authentic and transformational leadership
styles, mentorship, enhancing self-efficacy, and empowerment are
mechanisms that promote transitions for new graduate nurses.

Conclusion:
• Promote trusting relationships with
colleague's.

2.Current regional transition program is well established and utilizes
evidence based methods and enhancements to support transitions to
practice.

• Increase visibility of new graduate RNs to
aid their transition into the work place
culture.
• Support and enhance mentorship
opportunities that transcend nursing school
into the practice environment.

3. Results of Thought Exhange will be presented at the Leadership
Conference, November 27th @ 1pm.

Acknowledgments:

We would like to express gratitude to our field guide, Tammie Clarke, our nursing
• Promote a community/network approach to
instructor Shannon Shah, Leslie Auger from the Professional Practice Office, the
strengthen the transition to practice
Selkirk College CNSA Chapter, and the various Selkirk College faculty, new graduate
experience.
RNs and BSN students who contributed to our understanding and shaped the
foundations in our project.

References:
• Duchscher, J. B. (2009). Transition shock: The initial stage of role
adaptation for newly graduated Registered Nurses. Journal of Advanced
Nursing—Wiley Online Library. (n.d.). https://onlinelibrary-wileycom.ezproxy.library.uvic.ca/doi/full/10.1111/j.1365-2648.2008.04898.x
• Kramer, M., Brewer, B. B., & Maguire, P. (2013). Impact of healthy work
environments on new graduate nurses’ environmental reality
shock. Western Journal of Nursing Research, 35(3), 348-383. doi:
10.1177/0193945911403939