In the first phase of the study we gathered information and evidence from a range of sources about the transition period for newly qualified nurses (NQNs). We conducted a rapid evidence assessment of the literature on this topic to assess the evidence in relation to approaches used to enhance transition and retention. This included randomised controlled trials, systematic reviews, surveys and qualitative studies. We will be sharing our findings from this review in 2020. We have conducted interviews with a several groups of people to understand better the key factors which have an impact on the transition of NQNs. This has included final year student nurses, newly qualified nurses, clinical leaders and academics. These interviews are concluded and we will be sharing some of the highlights early in 2020 via our blog. We are also collecting information about the students participating in the project, including their employment history immediately following qualification. We will use this information to see what factors, if any, influence retention.
The second phase used evidence from Phase 1 to work with our Advisory Group, partners and wider networks to inform the development of our “transition toolkit” to assist universities, NQNs and employers to support successful transition.
In the final phase of the study, we evaluated the toolkit to see if it helped NQNs and employers during the transition period. We gathered information from two cohorts, one of which had not experienced enhanced transition and one group which had experienced enhanced transition.
The STaR Project 