Associations Between Participation in ProDeveloP and Newly Graduated Nurses' Stress and Professional Development When Transitioning into Practice

Magdalena Lindblom; Margareta Widarsson; Marie-Louise Södersved Källestedt; Anna Letterstål; Kent W Nilsson; Margareta Asp; Jessica Höglander

doi:10.1177/23779608261421265

Associations Between Participation in ProDeveloP and Newly Graduated Nurses' Stress and Professional Development When Transitioning into Practice

SAGE Open Nurs. 2026 Feb 9:12:23779608261421265. doi: 10.1177/23779608261421265. eCollection 2026 Jan-Dec.

Authors

Magdalena Lindblom¹, Margareta Widarsson¹, Marie-Louise Södersved Källestedt^{1

2

3}, Anna Letterstål¹, Kent W Nilsson^{1

4

5}, Margareta Asp¹, Jessica Höglander¹

Affiliations

¹ School of Health, Care and Social Welfare, Mälardalen University, Västerås, Sweden.
² Centre for Innovation, Research and Education, Region of Västmanland, Västerås, Sweden.
³ Department of Anaesthesiology & Intensive Care Medicine, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
⁴ Centre for Clinical Research, Uppsala University, Region of Västmanland, Västerås, Sweden.
⁵ Department of Medical Sciences; Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.

Abstract

Introduction: Newly graduated nurses (NGNs) encounter difficulties in their professional development and experience high stress during the transition into practice, which may contribute to early turnover. Providing structured transition support is essential for navigating the complexities of patient care and alleviating stress.

Objective: To explore whether participation in a professional development programme (ProDeveloP) with a reflective component during the initial months of transition into practice is associated with NGNs' perceived stress and professional development in terms of role clarity, task mastery, and social acceptance.

Methods: A quantitative intervention study with a non-randomised design. The study was conducted in a region in mid-Sweden. A total of 66 NGNs participated in the study: a control group (n = 27) in 2022 and an intervention group (n = 39) in 2023. The intervention group comprised NGNs who participated in a ProDeveloP, which builds upon a previous introduction programme consisting of eight educational days. ProDeveloP introduced four additional focus areas - role clarity, task mastery, social acceptance, and recovery - and incorporated structured reflection through six facilitated dialogue group sessions. Data were collected through surveys and analysed statistically.

Results: The intervention group, comprising NGNs who participated in ProDeveloP, had significantly lower perceived stress compared with the control group (Mann-Whitney U = 241.000, z = -3.311, p < .001), with a large effect size (Hedges' g = .956, 95% CI [0.489, 1.575]). This difference remained statistically significant after adjusting for relevant covariates in a linear regression model. No significant differences were observed between the groups in relation to role clarity, task mastery, or social acceptance.

Conclusion: Transition support employing a reflective approach, such as ProDeveloP, may lower perceived stress among NGNs during the early transition and can be crucial for ensuring a positive transition experience.

Keywords: Newly graduated nurses; professional development; programme; reflection; role clarity; social acceptance; stress; support; task mastery; transition.