The purpose of this study was to evaluate Graduate Nurses’ (GN) perceptions of helping behaviors of their preceptors, mentors, or coaches, during their nurse residency program. The nurse residency program correlates with the GNs transition into the nursing profession to become a competent Registered Nurse (RN).With the ever growing increase in the shortage of nurses nationally there is a need to evaluate and identify themes that will assist in easing the transition, retention, and recruitment of competent new nurses into the nursing profession. These themes are of significance to both the hiring Healthcare facilities and the educational institutions that prepare and train future nurses.The phenomenon of the perceptions of the graduate nurse’s lived experiences of the helping behaviors through the residency programs was studied. A qualitative phenomenological method was used. Data collection included a series of three focus group sessions; with a total of nineteen participants included in this study. In addition to the focus group sessions, audio recordings were used along with the researcher’s notes and participant data collection sheets and comments. Participants were Graduate Nurse’s attending the Nurse Residency Program at Pennsylvania Hospital in Center City Philadelphia.Results of the study identified three primary themes. First, Graduate Nurses feel that a facilitative learning environment in the academic and clinical setting would be beneficial. Second, the participants added the need for more “hands on” interactions in their nursing education programs. And third, nurse’s needed a supportive learning environment with the guidance of a mentor who was readily available in the residency program.The researcher stated five conclusions. First, the new nurses want the ability to be autonomous in their practice setting. Second, there is the need for a supportive and nurturing working environment. Third, there needs to be a mentor is readily available to provide guidance and structure to the novice nurse. Fourth, mentors need to model their behavior to provide realistic guidelines and expectations that will the advanced beginners develop a competent method of practice. And fifth, nursing education programs need to integrate a more facilitative method of teaching this generation of nurses.This study is significant to both the fields of education and nursing respectively. This research supports and extends various comprehensive research studies. This study specifies that additional research is needed in the areas of mentoring, Nurse Residency Programs, and the retention of competent registered nurses within the profession to combat the issues related to the ever growing nursing shortage.Ph.D., Education -- Drexel University, 200
