Other Titles
Rapid Presentation Round
Abstract
Background: Healthy work environments need effective nursing leadership (Mabona et al., 2022). Many new nurse managers lack the skills and knowledge needed for leadership roles (Espinoza et al., 2009). Turnover of new nurse managers is high, which can have a negative impact on nurse retention and quality of care (Warden, 2021). Per a national survey, over 50% of nurse leaders intend to leave their positions within next 5 years (Warden, 2021). A new manager orientation and mentorship programs could impact their practice, retention, and quality indicators, improve job satisfaction, organizational culture, and patient outcomes, and foster a healthy work environment (Perregrini, 2021, Coogan & Hampton, 2020).
Purpose: We implemented the Nurse Manager Transition to Practice Program to provide support and mentorship to new nurse managers, reduce manager turnover, and improve job satisfaction and nurse engagement indicators.
Methods: The American Organization for Nursing Leadership Self-Assessment (AONL, 2023a) was used as a guideline to create 1 year Nurse Manager Transition to Practice Program. The program consisted of a 2-day orientation with guest speakers, American Organization of Nurse Executives (AONE) self-assessment for developing and completing professional goals based on American Organization of Nurse Executives (AONE, 2005) competencies, quarterly whole cohort 4-hour meetings, completion of a quality improvement (QI) project, and regular check-ins with mentors (AONL, 2023b). Formal mentors were selected from managers and assistant managers with a minimum of 2 years of management experience. Subject matter experts presented during the 2-day orientation and the quarterly 4-hour meetings. The experts presented on topics related to AONL nurse manager competency components (Hughes et al., 2022). Some of topics included: mindfulness, whole health, role transition and professionalism, incivility and bullying in nursing, staffing methodology, hospital performance and Six Sigma for leaders, QI projects and evidence-based practice, resistance to change, nurse leader certification.
Results: Over the initial 2 years there were four cohorts with 29 participants, 8 dropped out of the program, and 3 left management within 1 year of completion with a retention of 90%. Manager turnover data were not separated from staff nurses in the facility, so overall turnover data were not available. The first three cohorts indicated overall program satisfaction 5.6 on a Likert-type scale of 1- 6. In units with a participating manager pre and post staff survey data showed a 9% improvement in both servant leadership and superior listening. Supervisor respect, trust, and satisfaction had a 9.3% increase.
Conclusion: The Nurse Manager Transition of Practice Program quantitatively improved the knowledge and readiness of participants as they transitioned into their new role. The mentorship part of the program was shown to foster a supportive and mutually respectful environment where new managers could confide in and seek advice from their paired mentor. The program helped to retain new manager, improved employee satisfaction, and had positive feedback from participants.
Implication: This program has proved to be an essential experience for the transition from expert nurse to novice manager.
Notes
Presenter notes available in slide deck.
Reference list available in slide deck.
Sigma Membership
Omega Delta
Type
Presentation
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Other
Research Approach
Other
Keywords:
Nurse Managers, Transition to Practice, Mentors, Mentorship, Nurse Leaders, Leadership
Recommended Citation
Rose, Anastasia Y.; Schira, Janelle; and Ross, Marja, "Fostering Healthy Work Environments With Nurse Manager Transition to Practice Program" (2026). Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE). 21.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/chwe/2024/presentations_2024/21
Conference Name
Creating Healthy Work Environments
Conference Host
Sigma Theta Tau International
Conference Location
Washington, DC, USA
Conference Year
2024
Rights Holder
All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record. All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository. All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.
Review Type
Abstract Review Only: Reviewed by Event Host
Acquisition
Proxy-submission
Date of Issue
2026-02-12
Fostering Healthy Work Environments With Nurse Manager Transition to Practice Program
Washington, DC, USA
Background: Healthy work environments need effective nursing leadership (Mabona et al., 2022). Many new nurse managers lack the skills and knowledge needed for leadership roles (Espinoza et al., 2009). Turnover of new nurse managers is high, which can have a negative impact on nurse retention and quality of care (Warden, 2021). Per a national survey, over 50% of nurse leaders intend to leave their positions within next 5 years (Warden, 2021). A new manager orientation and mentorship programs could impact their practice, retention, and quality indicators, improve job satisfaction, organizational culture, and patient outcomes, and foster a healthy work environment (Perregrini, 2021, Coogan & Hampton, 2020).
Purpose: We implemented the Nurse Manager Transition to Practice Program to provide support and mentorship to new nurse managers, reduce manager turnover, and improve job satisfaction and nurse engagement indicators.
Methods: The American Organization for Nursing Leadership Self-Assessment (AONL, 2023a) was used as a guideline to create 1 year Nurse Manager Transition to Practice Program. The program consisted of a 2-day orientation with guest speakers, American Organization of Nurse Executives (AONE) self-assessment for developing and completing professional goals based on American Organization of Nurse Executives (AONE, 2005) competencies, quarterly whole cohort 4-hour meetings, completion of a quality improvement (QI) project, and regular check-ins with mentors (AONL, 2023b). Formal mentors were selected from managers and assistant managers with a minimum of 2 years of management experience. Subject matter experts presented during the 2-day orientation and the quarterly 4-hour meetings. The experts presented on topics related to AONL nurse manager competency components (Hughes et al., 2022). Some of topics included: mindfulness, whole health, role transition and professionalism, incivility and bullying in nursing, staffing methodology, hospital performance and Six Sigma for leaders, QI projects and evidence-based practice, resistance to change, nurse leader certification.
Results: Over the initial 2 years there were four cohorts with 29 participants, 8 dropped out of the program, and 3 left management within 1 year of completion with a retention of 90%. Manager turnover data were not separated from staff nurses in the facility, so overall turnover data were not available. The first three cohorts indicated overall program satisfaction 5.6 on a Likert-type scale of 1- 6. In units with a participating manager pre and post staff survey data showed a 9% improvement in both servant leadership and superior listening. Supervisor respect, trust, and satisfaction had a 9.3% increase.
Conclusion: The Nurse Manager Transition of Practice Program quantitatively improved the knowledge and readiness of participants as they transitioned into their new role. The mentorship part of the program was shown to foster a supportive and mutually respectful environment where new managers could confide in and seek advice from their paired mentor. The program helped to retain new manager, improved employee satisfaction, and had positive feedback from participants.
Implication: This program has proved to be an essential experience for the transition from expert nurse to novice manager.
Description
We implemented the Nurse Manager Transition to Practice Program to provide support and mentorship to new nurse managers, reduce manager turnover, and improve job satisfaction, and nurse engagement indicators. Participant retention in leadership positions was 90%, and they had high satisfaction scores.