Trauma-informed mentorship in early clinical exposure to strengthen nursing care and workforce sustainability

Nursing care is central to public health, yet persistent nursing shortages and uneven workforce distribution continue to threaten service delivery, patient safety, and quality of care across health systems. Attrition risks are often addressed after licensure through strategies focused on burnout and migration, while earlier vulnerabilities within the education pipeline receive less attention. This commentary argues that early clinical exposure, defined here as the first sustained placement in real patient care settings during pre-licensure nursing education, should be approached as a prevention-oriented workforce strategy rather than only a pedagogical milestone. Early placements shape professional identity, perceived belonging, confidence in real-world nursing work, and willingness to remain in the profession. Trauma-informed mentorship, psychologically safe supervision, culturally responsive learning environments, and routine debriefing after emotionally intense encounters may reduce early disengagement, strengthen readiness for community- and facility-based practice, and protect educational investments that influence staffing stability and nursing care capacity. The commentary also considers mentor burden, hybrid transition models that combine simulation with high-support clinical entry, and policy directions for academic-clinical partnerships. Reframing early clinical exposure as a public health investment positions student support as a workforce policy lever that can strengthen nursing care and advance progress toward Sustainable Development Goal 3, which aims to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages, while also supporting universal health coverage.