title: The effect of Transition to Specialty Practice Programs on Australian emergency nurses' professional development, recruitment and retention.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To date, emergency nursing Transition to Specialty Practice Program (TSPP) evaluations have been single-site observational studies. The aim of this paper was to examine the professional development, recruitment and retention outcomes of Australian emergency nursing TSPPs.
  
  
  METHODS
  An explanatory sequential design was used. Data were collected via online surveys and interviews of emergency Nurse Unit Managers and Nurse Educators. Survey data from EDs with TSPPs and EDs without TSPPs were compared. Qualitative data were analysed using content analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Data were collected from 118 EDs, and 13 interviews. TSPPs were offered in 72.1% of EDs. EDs with TSPPs had higher proportions of nurses with postgraduate qualifications (Mdn 28.3% vs. 22.1%, p=0.45) and Clinical Specialists (Mdn 16.4% vs. 6.3%, p=0.04). The median proportion of currently rostered nurses with TSPP completion was 34.2% in EDs with TSPPs introduced in 2000-2005 indicating ED high levels of retention.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Emergency nursing TSPPs have had a positive effect on nursing professional development, recruitment and retention. To ensure consistency in outcomes and optimise reliability of emergency nursing skills and knowledge, a national emergency nursing TSPP framework is needed.
authors.affiliation: Lecturer, School of Nursing & Midwifery, Monash University, McMahons Road, Frankston, Victoria 3199, Australia. Electronic address: Julia.morphet@monash.edu.
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Morphet
authors.affiliation: Head of School, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Faculty of Health and Human Sciences, Plymouth University, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Bridie
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kent
authors.affiliation: Associate Professor Nursing Research, Monash University and Peninsula Health, School of Nursing & Midwifery, McMahons Road, Frankston, Victoria 3199, Australia.
authors.forename: Virginia
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Plummer
authors.affiliation: Chair in Nursing, Eastern Health & Deakin University, School of Nursing & Midwifery, 221 Burwood Hwy, Burwood, Victoria 3125, Australia.
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Considine
mesh_terms: D001315:Australia; D004509:Education, Nursing, Continuing; D016529:Emergency Nursing / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D015403:Nursing Evaluation Research; D036301:Qualitative Research; D013041:Specialties, Nursing / Q000193:education*; D000078329:Workforce
keywords: Emergency nursing; Professional development; Recruitment; Retention; Transition program