Date of Award

Spring 2026

Project Type

Thesis

Department

Nursing

First Advisor

Pamela Kallmerten

Abstract

Abstract 

Background: The transition to professional practice is a challenging period for new graduate nurses, and inadequate support can contribute to high turnover and reduced job satisfaction. Structured mentorship programs have been proposed as an effective strategy to improve retention, support professional development, and enhanced perceived impact during the first year of practice for new graduate nurses.

Local problem: Within a single microsystem, new graduate nurses faced challenges related to access to formal mentorship and support throughout the transition to practice. Baseline data indicated that only 50% of nurses had access to active mentorship, and retention rates in 2024 were 72%.

Methods: A quality improvement project was implemented to strengthen the transition-to-practice experience through a structured mentorship program. Mentors were paired with mentees based on experience, leadership qualities, and mentees preference. Mentors and mentees were encouraged to meet outside of work on a monthly basis. Program impact was evaluated using the Casey-Fink Nurse Retention Survey, microsystem retention data, and semi-structured interviews.

Results: All six new graduate nurses in the 2025 cohort remained employed within the microsystem at the conclusion of the intervention, exceeding the retention target of 80%. Access to mentorship increased from 50% to 100%, and participants reported strong team support and access to professional role models. Challenges remained related to nurse-to-patient ratios, workload stress, and recognition for contributions. Qualitative findings suggested mentorship was most beneficial early in the transition period, preferably during orientation. Participants valued flexible interactions and expressed interest in continued mentorship engagement.

Conclusions: Structured mentorship programs can improve access to guidance and support, enhance professional development, and contribute to improved retention among new graduate nurses. Early implementation during orientation and careful mentor selection are critical for optimizing impact. While mentorship alone does not fully address workload or organizational recognition challenges, combining mentorship with broader system-level strategies may enhance nurse satisfaction, retention, and professional growth.

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