Evaluation of Newly Licensed RNs to Determine Success of Nursing Program: A Partnership Between Practice and Education

Abstract

The quality of nursing education can be improved significantly when academic institutions work closely with clinical partners. Data on how well newly licensed RNs (NLRNs) perform in a health care setting, specifically in the first year of practice, can assist schools of nursing (SONs) to identify strengths of a nursing program and areas for improvement. Historically, SONs have struggled to monitor the performance of NLRNs after they leave the educational setting. In addition, response rates to alumni and employer surveys are traditionally low for SONs because of movement among NLRNs, changes in mailing and/or e-mail address, changes in employment setting, and the time required for completing the survey.1 These challenges make it difficult to track the performance and progression of NLRNs in their first year of practice and throughout their nursing careers. The purpose of this report is to highlight how a large, metropolitan SON in the Midwest partnered with an academic health center to evaluate the performance of NLRNs during their transition to practice program and mapped their performance to the nursing program outcomes.