Background

New graduate nurses are regarded as a precious health resource in light of the current workforce shortage. 1 As the global deficit of nurses and doctors reaches 2.4 million, 2 there has been a growing interest in new graduate nurse turnover rates and the extent to which these rates are linked to their experiences in the first 12 months of employment as a registered nurse. For instance, it was forecast in 2012 that by 2025, Australia would have a critical shortfall of nurses 3 resulting in increased demand for new graduate nurses. In addition to this, the turnover rates for new graduate nurses have increased, with a proportion of new graduates choosing to leave their employer or change clinical area within the first 12 months of their career. 4, 5 This results in unforeseen costs due to hiring of temporary staff, additional induction programs and loss of department productivity. 6-9