New Graduate RN Perinatal Internship

• Published in: The Journal of continuing education in nursing Vol. 52; no. 1; pp. 47 - 52
• Main Authors: Lesher, Britney B, Witt, Justyn M, Woodard, Rachel M, Haberyan, April B
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Slack, Inc 01.01.2021; SLACK INCORPORATED
• Subjects: Breastfeeding & lactation; Childbirth & labor; Educational Finance; Educational Needs; Educational Strategies; Gynecology; Hydrops fetalis; Internship programs; Internships; Medical colleges; Mentors; Midwifery; Nurses; Nursing; Nursing care; Nursing education; Obstetrics; Patients; Perinatal care; Postpartum period; Pregnancy; Simulation; Skills; Teaching; Vagina; Womens health
• ISSN: 0022-0124; 1938-2472
• DOI: 10.3928/00220124-20201215-12

Successful transition to perinatal practice and retention rates are affected due to nursing school education and support of graduate nurses when transitioning to the role of RN. A perinatal internship was developed to address the unique issues faced by new graduate nurses transitioning from school to practice and to ensure a successful transition to practice, strong foundation of knowledge, and an increase in retention rates. Through the development, implementation, and necessary redesign of the program, the authors found retention rates to be an average of 74% for the organization with ongoing program revisions being conducted to improve current retention rates. The use of agency nurses has also been dramatically reduced since the implementation of the program. [J Contin Educ Nurs. 2021;52(1):47-52.].