It is springtime, when many new graduate nurses' thoughts are focused on two things: passing the NCLEX exam and finding a job, hopefully in a setting or specialty they enjoy. I am watching my own daughter's transformation from last-semester-nursing-student to almost-new-grad-nurse. She is alternatively exhausted and exhilarated, confident and trepidatious about the professional world she is about to enter. I respect those feelings; they are hard fought and well earned. I also look forward to celebrating her success and that of all of the newly minted nurses who will be joining the workforce later this summer.

There are approximately 150,000 NCLEX-RN passers per year, as stated in the American Nurses Association's (2016)Nurses by the Numbers report. Across the country, excellent nurse residencies and customized orientation programs await these new graduates. Preceptors are prepared and ready to share their knowledge and experience. Nursing professional development (NPD) practitioners have organized tremendous resources to help the novice nurses safely assimilate into their new roles. Nurse managers and other care team members look forward to their arrival and future contributions.

At the same time, we know that the transition to professional practice can be fraught with challenges for new graduate nurses. Colleagues can be rushed and impatient; days and nights can be long; patients and families are stressed and may even seem ungrateful. Skill mastery and critical thinking progress might seem elusive, and confidence can wax and wane. Nursing school may be over, but a great deal of learning has just begun.

NPD practitioners are uniquely positioned to anticipate the jagged learning curve and help smooth this transition. Several pieces in this issue of JNPD touch on transition issues. Dr. MaryAnn Windey discusses transitions to a new specialty in the Transition to Practice column. Dr. Julia Aucoin, in this issue's Ask an Expert column, offers her thoughts about how the NPD practitioner's role has transitioned and will continue to evolve. The "From the Frontlines to the Back Page" feature describes one nurse's experience in becoming a JNPD peer reviewer, a role transition her mentors encouraged her to try. One article discusses the important transition involved in pursuing a bachelor's degree in nursing; another describes a mentor program to improve nurse retention-a type of transition to stay, if you will. What does this all mean? I believe it demonstrates that nurses are continuously on the move, looking for opportunities to learn, grow, and contribute in meaningful ways. This constant transitioning provides fertile ground for NPD practitioners to facilitate change for individuals and teams alike.

So, as this season's class of "new grads" arrive with their boundless curiosity, thought-provoking questions, and unlimited potential, let's remember that incomparable feeling of being new 5, 10, or over 25 years ago. Let's welcome the new graduate nurses with open minds and generous hearts. We have much to learn from and share with each other. After all, that next new grad is surely someone's daughter, son, friend, or significant other. Rest assured loved ones, we will keep an eye on them!

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