New Graduate First Year of Clinical Practice Nursing Programme

New Graduate First Year of Clinical Practice Nursing Programme - Evaluation Report

Date of publication: January 2004

HP3717

This report is an evaluation of the three pilot New Graduate First Year of Clinical Practice Nursing Programmes, commissioned by the Clinical Training Agency (CTA).

The key Government goals for the public sector include improving New Zealanders’ skills, which puts a requirement on the Ministry of Health and wider sector to work to further develop the capability and skills of the health and disability support workforce. A key Ministry outcome is to address system capability issues, such as workforce development. The preparation of health professionals to deliver health and disability support services in a manner consistent with Government priorities has become an important focus for the Ministry of Health in recent years.

A number of reports and strategies have recommended that the first post-degree year of clinical nursing practice should be supported in a structured way, to achieve an effective transition from student to professional. Such programmes are believed to contribute to improved skill levels, confidence, recruitment and retention. In order to consider the potential for formal first year of nursing practice programmes in New Zealand, the CTA funded pilot programmes in three District Health Boards (DHBs) in 2002. The pilots have increased our understanding of issues related to the first year of clinical nursing practice.

This evaluation was an integral part of the CTA’s contract with the pilot DHBs. The DHBs worked with the evaluator to develop a range of ways to assess the pilot operations and outcomes from the perspectives of the new graduates, the clinical preceptors, and other key personnel. While the complexity of the programmes presented a challenge, the three pilot DHBs addressed the challenges well. One major result is good-quality information for future policy-making and programme design. This evaluation will assist decisions regarding support for nurse graduates during their professional transition year.

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Related information:

Workforce publications

Clinical Training Agency

Nursing in New Zealand