title: Reaching their potential: Perceived impact of a collaborative academic-clinical partnership programme for early career nurses in New Zealand.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The dynamic nature of healthcare ensures that early career nurses enter an uncertain and complex world of practice and consequently require support to develop their practice, build confidence and reach their potential. The New Zealand Nurse Entry to Practice programme for registered nurses in their first year of practice has been operating since 2005 to enable safe and confident practice, improve the quality of care, and positively impact on recruitment and retention. This academic and clinical programme was offered as a partnership between a university and a clinical provider with postgraduate academic credits gained.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to explore the perceived impact of postgraduate university education for early career nurses in one regional health area of New Zealand.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were registered nurses who had completed the early career nurse programme and their clinical preceptors. The research was conducted via an online survey of 248 nurses and three focus groups to explore how the programme was experienced and its impact on knowledge and practice.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Early career nurses and their preceptors found that the programme enables improved knowledge and skills of patient assessment, application of critical thinking to clinical practice, perceived improvement in patient care delivery and outcomes, enhanced interprofessional communication and knowledge sharing, and had a positive impact on professional awareness and career planning.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This clinical-academic partnership positively impacted on the clinical practice and transition experience of early career nurses and was closely aligned to an organization's strategic plan for nursing workforce development.
authors.affiliation: University of Auckland, New Zealand. Electronic address: a.mckillop@auckland.ac.nz.
authors.forename: Ann
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: McKillop
authors.affiliation: University of Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Lesley
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Doughty
authors.affiliation: Waikato District Health Board, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Cheryl
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Atherfold
authors.affiliation: University of Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Kathy
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shaw
mesh_terms: D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D004506:Education, Nursing / Q000458:organization & administration*; D017144:Focus Groups; D009520:New Zealand; D009740:Nursing Staff
keywords: Clinical; Education; Graduate; Learning environment; New graduates; Nursing; Preceptorship; Professional competence