Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41877212›Full record

ArticleBMC nursing2026

Clinical education programs for new graduate nurses: a scoping review.

Jennifer McClure, Catherine Gonzalez, Hind Elmir, Shanisha Prasad, Nalini Singh, Leanne Senior, Josephine S F Chow, Gladis Kabil, Sheeja Perumbil Pathrose

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in BMC nursing, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Jennifer McClureLiverpool Hospital, South Western Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, Australia. jennifer.mcclure@health.nsw.gov.au.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8330-8216
Catherine GonzalezEducation and Organisational Development Service, South Western Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, Australia.
Hind ElmirLiverpool Hospital, South Western Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, Australia.
Shanisha PrasadLiverpool Hospital, South Western Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, Australia.
Nalini SinghEducation and Organisational Development Service, South Western Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, Australia.
Leanne SeniorLiverpool Hospital, South Western Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, Australia.
Josephine S F ChowSWS Nursing and Midwifery Research Alliance, South Western Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, Australia.
Gladis KabilSchool of Nursing and Midwifery, Western Sydney University, Sydney, Australia.
Sheeja Perumbil PathroseSchool of Nursing and Midwifery, Western Sydney University, Sydney, Australia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveTo explore the clinical education programs that support new graduate nurses and their impact on confidence, competence, job satisfaction and workforce retention.

backgroundNursing workforce turnover is a key issue for healthcare organisations, impacting efficiency, cost-effectiveness, quality of care and patient safety. New graduate nurses are an at-risk cohort who face distinct challenges transitioning into practice, requiring structured and supportive clinical education programs.

methodsThe JBI methodology for scoping review approach was used. The review was registered and made publicly available in Open Science Framework: https://osf.io/ke5hd . Included studies involved clinical education programs that support new graduate nurses within their first 12 months of employment after completing a bachelor-level degree and their impact on confidence, competence, job satisfaction and retention. The literature search was conducted in March 2025 using CINAHL, Medline and Scopus, with no restrictions on geography or language, and included grey literature across the selected databases.

results31 studies met the inclusion criteria of the review, with the majority (n = 27) conducted in a hospital setting. Various terminologies were adopted for clinical education programs in the included studies, such as transition or residency programs, preceptorship programs and critical reflection programs. The duration of these programs was between six weeks to 18 months, with the majority delivered over 12 months (n = 18). Clinical education modalities included education sessions, support strategies, facility orientation, leadership involvement in structured programs, shift pattern rules, reflection, structured feedback and participation in quality improvement projects. This review highlighted the positive impact of providing clinical and social support to this at-risk cohort, and identified that structured clinical education programs resulted in improved confidence, competence, retention and job satisfaction of new graduate nurses. Additionally, the review of these studies revealed organisational challenges, including staffing issues and competing demands between sustaining clinical services, and releasing new graduate nurses for scheduled educational activities required to meet clinical education objectives.

conclusionThe review identified that structured clinical education programs positively impact the transition of new graduate nurses into professional practice. These findings will inform healthcare educators, policymakers and leaders in planning and prioritising responsive strategies to strengthen new graduate clinical education programs and sustain a future-ready nursing workforce.

Indexed as

Clinical educationCompetenceConfidenceJob satisfactionNew graduate nursesResidency programsRetentionScoping reviewTransition to practice

Identifiers

PMID41877212
PMCPMC13137532

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.