Abstract
Providing comprehensive orientation programs that prepare nurses for their role as staff nurses is an integral aspect of retention. Therefore, it is vital that staff development educators assess the effectiveness of their nursing orientation programs. In this article, the authors employ a utilization-focused evaluation format to assess a nursing orientation program and, based on the results, offer recommendations for strengthening such programs.
The current nursing shortage is fast approaching critical levels. Several explanations abound for this shortage: decreased enrollments in nursing schools, an aging workforce, and noncompetitive salaries (Mangan, 1999). Because of these obstacles, it is vital that hospitals not only employ effective recruitment practices, but that they also devise potent retention strategies. According to Mathews and Nunley (1992), effective orientation programs can result in increased retention of new nurses. Therefore, providing comprehensive orientation programs that prepare new employees for their role as staff nurses is essential.
The nursing orientation program at Holy Family Medical Center (HFMC) in northern Illinois has been in place for more than 10 years. The educators responsible for orientation and staff development, as well as members of nursing management, recognized the need for a formalized evaluation of the orientation program that would assure that the needs of the new staff nurses were being met and would support HFMC's mission. A decision was made to initiate a utilization-focused evaluation.