Background

A small Midwestern college of nursing and an affiliate hospital partnered to design a nurse residency program where students are extended pre-hire job offers in a practice area of their choice and are then partnered with a preceptor who they will work with in a clinical immersion experience during the last semester of their nursing program and in their orientation period as new nurses.

Purpose

The purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of a cohort of nurses as students and new graduate nurses during transition in this collaborative nurse residency program.

Method

A transcendental phenomenological qualitative approach using Meleis' Transition Experience Theory as a theoretical framework is used for this study.

Results

Themes of feeling overwhelmed, supported, and confident were identified. A finding unique to the literature and this nurse residency program model is a theme of overwhelming support.

Conclusions

This information can be used to improve the nurse residency program and its outcomes and also further the advancement of nursing knowledge of the transition experience of new nurses.