The nursing shortage has become a national healthcare problem. New graduate nurses (NGN) attrition rates have increased within the first year of practice. These nurses are valuable as they provide a pipeline of replacements for experienced nurses leaving the profession. They are the future of nursing, and their retention within the profession must become a priority. The evidence supports that through mentorship, NGNs receive the support necessary to transition to practice, positively affecting their intent to stay scores and overall retention.

This study investigates the implementation of mentorship within a structured nurse residency program and its effect on NGNs’ intent to stay. The objectives for the project include a) measuring new graduate nurse intent to stay pre-and post-mentoring intervention implementation, b) identifying ideal timing for introducing mentorship to NGNs, and c) identifying a correlation between mentorship and NGN retention.

The project design is a pilot study utilizing quantitative analysis via a validated intent to stay survey, given pre- and post-a 16-week formal mentorship program intervention.

The results supported mentorship as a strategy to increase intent to stay. However, there was no significant increase in intent to stay scores when comparing NGNs with a mentor and those without a mentor. While mentorship has shown promise in increasing retention, it's important to note that many factors influence retention. Mentored NGNs have shown increased intent to stay scores and have affirmed that mentorship supports the transition to practice. However, further study is crucial, particularly in determining the optimal timing for introducing mentorship to NGNs.