As the healthcare workforce continues to evolve, nurse leaders face the urgent challenge of preparing the next generation of nurses while retaining the top talent already within their organizations. In a recent episode from Joyce Batcheller's All About Nursing, Larissa Africa, MBA, RN, CENP, FAONL, FAAN, Vice President of Healthcare Workforce Solutions (HWS) and StaffGarden by Ascend Learning joined Rachel Hutton, BSN, RN-BC, NPD-BC with Baylor Scott & White Health to discuss what it takes to successfully develop and retain nurses today.
Their insights cut to the heart of what it means to truly invest in talent development— and why that investment can’t wait.
For decades, transition-to-practice programs focused on helping new graduate nurses acclimate to the clinical environment. But the needs of healthcare today— marked by higher acuity, staff shortages, and a new generation of digital-native nurses— require more than acclimation. They demand preparation for growth.
“The solutions we used to use for these problems— they’re no longer sufficient,” Larissa said. “We can’t keep using the same approach in our new healthcare environment.”
That reality is showing up in turnover rates: nearly 30% of new graduate nurses leave their organization by year two. Larissa’s research— recently published in Nurse Leader by AONL— into the psychological capital of new graduate nurses measures hope, optimism, efficacy, and resilience. The findings reveal that those with the most hope are the most likely to leave— without a clear path forward to fulfill their career goals, the most ambitious and motivated nurses will take their talents elsewhere.
“If they don’t see a path, they leave,” she explained. “It’s not about lacking ambition... it’s about lacking opportunity.”
Career growth doesn’t always mean a new title.
“I remember a new graduate nurse saying, ‘I don’t necessarily want to be in a manager or educator role… I just want to know how I can get involved in a committee or expand my skillset,” Larissa shared.
This is a critical shift in perspective. Career development must be redefined as progression within practice, not just vertical advancement alone. This means offering nurses the tools, coaching, and visibility to grow right where they are.
Rachel added, “There’s a big difference between knowing what you want, and knowing how to get there… I want them to feel that same passion for their career and see the impact they can make.”
At the core of this new model is mentorship.
Rachel and Larissa emphasized the value of creating structured coaching and career planning opportunities, during and beyond orientation.
These programs provide a wealth of benefits for nurses, including helping them:
· Develop their resumes and professional profiles
· Understand behavioral interviews and critical thinking prompts
· Learn how to get involved in their units
· Set realistic professional development goals
· Identify their career direction and ensure competitive excellence in their field
And perhaps most importantly: they foster belonging.
“We’re seeing new grads being trained by other newer nurses, and it’s not as harmful as we thought,” Rachel said. “They remember what it was like to be new, they ask questions, they admit when they don’t know. That creates safer, more humble teams.”
Debriefings and early post-orientation touchpoints have also surfaced challenges in practice culture that can be addressed proactively. As Joyce shared, “Some of what we heard was horrifying… but essential. It’s how we uncovered what was really happening on individual units. Culture matters. Every single unit matters.”
The most successful transition-to-practice programs don’t just live on one unit or one floor— they scale.
“We had monthly meetings with our T2P coordinators. Everyone was doing the same things at the same time,” Rachel said. “If a nurse moved to another facility in the system, they’d be able to plug in right away.”
This kind of system-wide structure builds loyalty, continuity, and consistency. It also requires alignment at every level, from executive sponsorship to preceptor buy-in.
“We have to show the ROI. Turnover, savings, patient outcomes—it all ties back to development,” Larissa emphasized.
Larissa and Rachel both called attention to the importance of reducing barriers for both nurses engaging in development and the leadership trying to support it.
That’s where platforms like StaffGarden help health systems unlock the power of visibility.
With a centralized, digital ecosystem, nurse leaders can:
• Track transition-to-practice progress and competencies in real time
• Monitor ladder, mentoring, and peer review engagement
• View nurse certifications, education, training, and compliance across teams
• Connect performance with program impact
• Reduce administrative burdens and reinvest time in coaching and connection
“When they can see their goal, and see how to get there, that’s when the magic happens,” Rachel said.
From staffing shortages to generational shifts, nurse leaders are facing significant headwinds. This episode offers something stronger than a list of best practices— it offers hope that by investing in nurse development with intention and structure, we can retain our top talent, inspire our next generation, and grow a workforce that’s ready for what comes next.
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