Abstract
Purpose: The well-being of new nurses influences individual health and organizational performance, including job satisfaction, turnover intent, and patient safety (NASEM, 2019). In the global healthcare landscape, addressing these concerns is essential for promoting leadership in organizational development. This study explores the relationship between the well-being of new nurses and organizational outcomes, focusing on leadership strategies that enhance well-being and improve healthcare system functionality.
Background and Significance: New nurses face significant challenges transitioning into professional practice. Transition shock, experienced by new nurses within their first 18 months of practice, leads to stress and burnout (Duchscher, 2018; Eckerson, 2018). Healthcare systems leaders must prioritize well-being initiatives to mitigate burnout, reduce turnover, and ensure patient safety. Limited research has focused specifically on the well-being of new nurses, highlighting the critical need for interventions that foster healthier work environments and better patient outcomes.
Methods: This cross-sectional study surveyed a national random sample of 1,000 new nurses practicing for 18 months or less, using the Mayo Clinic’s Nurse Well-Being Index (Dyrbye et al., 2018) to measure well-being alongside job satisfaction, turnover intent, patient safety, and patient error outcomes. Data analysis employed regression models to assess the relationships between well-being and key organizational factors.
Major Outcomes: Results suggest that lower well-being scores among new nurses are associated with decreased job satisfaction, higher turnover intent, and increased patient safety incidents and errors. Twenty-one percent of respondents had already left their positions, and 37% expressed intentions to leave within the next year. These findings highlight the significant role of leadership in creating work environments that support nurse well-being and lead to improved outcomes.
Discussion and Implications for Nursing: This study underscores the vital role of leadership in healthcare systems to prioritize and support the well-being of new nurses. By developing evidence-based leadership initiatives that foster well-being, healthcare organizations can improve nurse retention, job satisfaction, and patient safety outcomes. These strategies contribute to building a sustainable, resilient workforce capable of addressing global healthcare challenges (Auerbach et al., 2022).
Notes
References: Auerbach, D. I., Buerhaus, P. I., Donelan, K., & Staiger, D. O. (2022, April 13, 2022). A worrisomedrop in the number of young nurses.
Health Affairs Forefront. https://doi.org/10.1377/forefront.20220412.311784
Duchscher, J. B., & Windey, M. (2018). Stages of transition and transition shock. Journal for Nurses in Professional Development, 34(4), 228-232. https://doi.org/10.1097/NND.0000000000000461
Dyrbye, L. N., Johnson, P. O., Johnson, L. M., Satele, D. V., & Shanafelt, T. D. (2018). Efficacy of the well-being index to identify distress and well-being in U.S. nurses. Nursing Research, 67(6), 447-455. https://doi.org/10.1097/NNR.0000000000000313
Eckerson, C. M. (2018). The impact of nurse residency programs in the United States on improving retention
and satisfaction of new nurse hires: An evidence-based literature review. Nurse Education Today, 71, 84-90.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2018.09.003
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. (2019). Taking action against clinician burnout: A systems approach to professional well-being. The National Academies Press.
Sigma Membership
Beta Beta (Dallas)
Type
Presentation
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Cross-Sectional
Research Approach
Mixed/Multi Method Research
Keywords:
Transition to Practice, Onboarding, Workforce, Stress and Coping
Recommended Citation
Church, Cory D. and Kim, Seungman, "Prioritizing New Nurse Well-Being: Factors Affecting Patient Safety, Errors, and Turnover" (2025). International Nursing Research Congress (INRC). 79.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/inrc/2025/presentations_2025/79
Conference Name
36th International Nursing Research Congress
Conference Host
Sigma Theta Tau International
Conference Location
Seattle, Washington, USA
Conference Year
2025
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.
Review Type
Abstract Review Only: Reviewed by Event Host
Acquisition
Proxy-submission
Prioritizing New Nurse Well-Being: Factors Affecting Patient Safety, Errors, and Turnover
Seattle, Washington, USA
Purpose: The well-being of new nurses influences individual health and organizational performance, including job satisfaction, turnover intent, and patient safety (NASEM, 2019). In the global healthcare landscape, addressing these concerns is essential for promoting leadership in organizational development. This study explores the relationship between the well-being of new nurses and organizational outcomes, focusing on leadership strategies that enhance well-being and improve healthcare system functionality.
Background and Significance: New nurses face significant challenges transitioning into professional practice. Transition shock, experienced by new nurses within their first 18 months of practice, leads to stress and burnout (Duchscher, 2018; Eckerson, 2018). Healthcare systems leaders must prioritize well-being initiatives to mitigate burnout, reduce turnover, and ensure patient safety. Limited research has focused specifically on the well-being of new nurses, highlighting the critical need for interventions that foster healthier work environments and better patient outcomes.
Methods: This cross-sectional study surveyed a national random sample of 1,000 new nurses practicing for 18 months or less, using the Mayo Clinic’s Nurse Well-Being Index (Dyrbye et al., 2018) to measure well-being alongside job satisfaction, turnover intent, patient safety, and patient error outcomes. Data analysis employed regression models to assess the relationships between well-being and key organizational factors.
Major Outcomes: Results suggest that lower well-being scores among new nurses are associated with decreased job satisfaction, higher turnover intent, and increased patient safety incidents and errors. Twenty-one percent of respondents had already left their positions, and 37% expressed intentions to leave within the next year. These findings highlight the significant role of leadership in creating work environments that support nurse well-being and lead to improved outcomes.
Discussion and Implications for Nursing: This study underscores the vital role of leadership in healthcare systems to prioritize and support the well-being of new nurses. By developing evidence-based leadership initiatives that foster well-being, healthcare organizations can improve nurse retention, job satisfaction, and patient safety outcomes. These strategies contribute to building a sustainable, resilient workforce capable of addressing global healthcare challenges (Auerbach et al., 2022).
Description
This study explores the relationship between the well-being of new nurses and organizational outcomes. Using a national survey of 1,000 new nurses, the research found that lower well-being is associated with lower job satisfaction, higher turnover intent, and increasing negative safety practices and patient errors. The study emphasizes the leader's role in fostering healthier work environments to improve outcomes in healthcare systems.