Facilitating the transition into nursing practice: concepts and strategies for mentoring new graduates.

In today's healthcare market, current trends in the nursing population are posing problems in the workforce. With the present nursing shortage, hospitals are competing for the hiring of new graduate nurses. To recruit, retain, and foster personal and professional growth, employers must be aware of the gaps between skills and knowledge acquired in school and those gained through experience. Employer expectations of new graduate nurses and concepts to support new graduate nurses are explored. From these concepts, components of a specialty orientation program are described to assist the transition from student to nurse.