Aim: Documenting the journey of graduate nurse support in New Zealand from local programmes to a nationally consistent framework.
Background: Education of nurses in New Zealand has changed over the decades, from apprenticeship-style hospital-based training to academically prepared registered nurses. Newly graduated nurses require time to become confident within the clinical setting. To achieve this, a well-supported graduate nurse programme is required.
Evaluation: The authors utilized historical reviews of nursing education within New Zealand and current work being undertaken by a national working party to implement a nationally consistent graduate nurse programme.
Key issues: Disparity between locally delivered graduate programmes. Lack of funding to provide a well-structured programme and the impact on the recruitment and retention of new nurses.
Conclusions: It was identified that there was a strong need to ensure graduate nurse programmes were consistent across New Zealand in order to support graduate nurses and retain them in the workforce.
Implications for nursing: management The first year of practice remains a challenging transition time with a need for a well-structured and supported programme. Key needs include learning activities grounded in practice experience, robust programme coordination, skilled clinical educators, preceptors, and a structured learning framework.