What New Graduates Need from Nurse Leaders

By Rose O. Sherman, EdD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN

During the next three months, health systems nationwide will begin to transition new graduates into their practice settings. This year’s new graduates have had more direct clinical time than nurses who graduated last year. Still, their current skills may not be enough for the high-acuity environments in hospitals today. The patient acuity-nurse experience gap has never been wider. There are fewer experienced nurses in acute units to serve as their preceptors and mentors.

Nursing faculty have shared that students are very anxious about their skills. Many of these graduates worry they will transition into turbulent environments where they feel psychologically unsafe and cannot meet the professional expectations of some organizations. It is not surprising that recent research from ANM healthcare indicates a significant drop in job satisfaction, especially among younger nurses.

It is up to us as leaders to ensure that transitional experiences are designed to give them a strong foundation and help them to feel psychologically safe. It is not the new graduate’s fault that their education was massively interrupted. It is not the faculty’s fault that the pandemic disrupted clinical placements. If we want these young nurses to succeed, we must do more for them, especially this year. Orientations will probably need to be longer. Preceptor expectations may need to be tempered. Below are some wants and needs of this young workforce to consider as you plan their onboarding:

New Graduate Wants

• Leaders who focus on their strengths and contributions rather than their deficits.
• Leaders who are inclusive and make sure new staff develop strong connections and relationships with other staff.
• Optimistic leaders who say thank you and make them feel special.
• Leaders who help them track their progress and growth.
• Leaders who are coaches, not bosses.
• Leaders who discuss career planning and their career goals.
• Leaders who pay them fairly.
• Leaders who honor work-life balance and nurse well-being.
• Leaders who don’t give them more complex assignments than they can manage.

New Graduate Needs

• Leaders who listen more than they talk.
• Leaders who mind the gap between patient needs and new nurse capabilities – and who don’t expect too much too soon.
• Leaders who build teams where psychological safety is a core value.
• Leaders who choose preceptors that help new graduates develop stronger critical thinking skills.
• Leaders who are not afraid to give professional feedback about what the new graduate needs to start, stop or continue doing.
• Leaders who will teach them conversational skills and team backup.
• Leaders who understand their high stress and anxiety levels and discuss well-being strategies.
• Leaders who promote a growth versus fixed mindset in competency development by reminding new nurses – they can’t do this yet but will soon.
• Leaders who plan comprehensive orientations and provide step-by-step guidance.
• Leaders who create environments of civility and teamwork.

When transitioning your new graduate nurses this year, begin with the end in mind. One nurse leader told me her team has an audacious goal to retain 95% of her new graduates through the first year. Before the new graduates start each summer, she challenges her team with the following scenario:  It is July of 2024, and we have only lost one of our new graduates. What did we do to make that happen?  There is wisdom in that question for all of us.

© emergingrnleader.com 2023

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other Programs/Books Your Leaders May Find Valuable

From Traditional Nurse Leader to Nurse Leader Coach – Click Here for the Flyer

For new leaders and emerging leaders, consider doing The Nuts and Bolts of Nursing Leadership Program – Click Here for the Nuts and Bolts Flyer Final

New Leader Development Option in 2023 – Team Coaching Designed to the Unique Needs of Your Organization  Leader Coaching Brochure

Read the Nurse Leader Coach – Available at Amazon and Other Book Sellers

Recommended Book by the Association of Critical Care Nurses – The Nuts and Bolts of Nursing Leadership: Your Toolkit for Success