Work readiness of new RNs

Editor's Note

This study led by nurse researchers at Novant Health, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and the School of Nursing, University of North Carolina, Greensboro, examines the work readiness of newly licensed RNs. Work readiness is the extent to which newly graduated nurses possess qualities and competencies linked to job satisfaction and work engagement.

A total of 287 newly licensed RNs participating in a nurse residency program in the southeast region of the US were surveyed.

Those surveyed scored high on all readiness dimensions. However, the analysis found unexpected differences in dimensions based on race, type of nursing degree, and completion of an externship program.

Further research is needed to understand how work readiness develops over time, predictive factors, and how it relates to new RN retention and other outcomes, the researchers say.