Transition to Practice in Nonhospital Settings

A survey conducted in 2001, and replicated in 2003 with the same results, found that fewer than 50% of employers thought newly licensed nurses were safe and effective in practice. These findings caused concern for boards of nursing, so in 2002 the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) began to examine transition to practice (TTP) in nursing, developing an evidence-based model program and studying its effectiveness in hospital and nonhospital settings. After completion of the TTP study in hospitals with registered nurses (RNs) published earlier in 2015, a study was conducted in nonhospital facilities with RNs and licensed practical nurses to determine if NCSBN’s TTP program could be used effectively across settings. Sites volunteering to participate, however, faced many challenges while the study was underway. This article presents the TTP program, study design, challenges faced by nonhospital sites trying to implement a TTP program, and limited findings