Date of Graduation

Winter 12-15-2023

Document Access

Project/Capstone - Global access

Degree Name

Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)

College/School

School of Nursing and Health Professions

Program

Kaiser cohort MSN capstone

Abstract

Mentoring Nurses After Specialty Training or Orientation in Labor and Delivery

Abstract

Background: The setting for this project was a northern California hospital-based healthcare system referred to as “Hospital KV.” Hospital KV is a non-profit, integrated hospital that operates to improve the community’s health. Hospital KV’s maternal child health (MCH) department comprises a labor and delivery(L&D) unit, a mother and baby unit (MBU), also referred to as a postpartum unit, and an intermediate nursery (IMN).

Problem: The hospital KV MCH department faced the challenge of a nursing shortage. The nursing shortage was associated with substantial challenges to Hospital KV, its management, nurses, and patients. Hospital KV was aware of the challenges posed by the nursing shortage and had implemented some initiatives, like the nurse residency program and nurse specialty training program, to mitigate the adverse effects of the nursing shortage. However, more support was needed to minimize the enormous challenges of the nursing shortage, especially for novices and nurses who recently transferred to Hospital KV MCH department from other hospitals or other departments.

Interventions: This project mentored nurses new to the Hospital KV MCH department to expand their skill sets and clinical knowledge, develop a professional network with their new colleagues of expert obstetric nurses, and make them feel team support in their new role. The project aimed to increase the retention rate of novice and newly transferred nurses in the Hospital KV MCH department.

Outcome Measures: The specific aim of this project was to increase the retention rate of specialty-trained nurses who transferred to the Hospital KV MCH department from other hospitals and nurses who completed the Hospital KV Specialty Training within the last twelve months from a baseline retention rate of 40% to the target of 75% by July 2023 in Hospital KV L&D Department. The primary process measure was 90% of mentees utilizing mentors’ expertise and support, as evidenced by weekly follow-ups and post-survey feedback.

Results: Seven newly hired nurses completed the pre-implementation formative and post-implementation summative assessments via survey monkey. All seven mentees responded affirmatively to the thought; Assigning a newly hired nurse to a mentor immediately after orientation would positively impact the transition to the obstetric nursing specialty. All seven nurses affirmed a higher degree of job satisfaction from the support provided through mentorship, meeting and surpassing the project’s target goal of 75%. The outcome measure was met at 86%.

Conclusion: Implementing the mentorship program greatly benefitted the team, patients, mentees, and mentors by ensuring everyone had a stake in making new team members feel welcomed and supported and ensuring that retention rates among new team members progressively increased in the Hospital KV MCH department.

Keywords: nursing shortage, nurse residency program, nurse mentorship program, nurse retention, nurse turnover, nurse burnouts, nurse job satisfaction

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