Design and Implementation of an Evidence-Based Pilot Program to Support New Graduate Nurses' Transition to Professional Practice: Application of Soft Skills Education in an Associate Degree Program

Problem Statement: Post-pandemic nurse graduates experienced difficulty transition to professional practice due to limited focus on soft skills acquisition in pre-licensure nursing curricula. Background:Faculty characterized graduates as underprepared for professional practice, stating concerns affecting retention, patient outcomes, and work satisfaction. Aim:The quality improvement project goal was to address the transition to practice readiness by providing soft skills education to associate degree students. Theoretical Framework:This project applied Benner's Novice-to-Expert MOdel and Duchscher's Stages of Transition. Methods:Utilizing a mixed methods approach, March-April 2024, a sample size of 28 participants completed both pre- and post-Casey-Fink Readiness for Practice Surveys (CFRPS), and ten Likert-style surveys. Two COVID-19 era graduates were also interviewed. Inclusion was limited to 2020 to 2022 graduates and current students through May 2025. Outcomes: Participants demonstrated a change in readiness for transition to practice in three of twenty areas. Conclusion:This project provides a guide to provide soft skills education to improve nursing transition to practice readiness.