Mental Health Support and Educational Programs for New Graduate Nurses: A Scoping Review

Aim To explore studies on mental health support and educational programs for new graduate nurses to enhance their workplace adaptation, job satisfaction, and well-being. Background New graduate nurses face significant mental health challenges during the transition to practice, contributing to high turnover rates. Methods This scoping review used Arksey and O’Malley's framework and Joanna Briggs Institute's methodology to identify quantitative and mixed-methods studies in English or Japanese, published between January 2014 and July 2024, involving new graduate nurses within 12 months of graduation. Results Of 1,024 records, 14 studies were included. The analysis identified three categories of mental health support programs (clinical nurse educator–led mentorship, mindfulness-based interventions, and workplace environment support) and four types of educational programs (resilience education, communication skills training, positive psychology interventions, and stress management education). Research gaps included limited evidence regarding long-term effectiveness and the lack of standardized measurement tools. Conclusion Existing programs show promise; however, researchers need to conduct rigorous, longitudinal, multisite studies using standardized measurement tools, along with research that evaluates program sustainability, cost-effectiveness, and cultural adaptability.