EXPLORING THE SATISFACTION OF NEWLY HIRED NURSES USING AN EVIDENCE-BASED, PERSONALIZED ONBOARDING PROGRAM: A CROSS-SECTIONAL ANALYSIS.

PURPOSE: To examine the satisfaction of newly hired nurses with an evidence-based, 90-day onboarding program, and to explore how satisfaction relates to factors that may bear on future workforce retention. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional assessment of newly hired nurses at the Qassim University Medical Center (QUMC) across 2023. Nurses were subjected to a 90-day onboarding program, comprised of three distinct stages. Participants' satisfaction was measured using a literature validated questionnaire. Differences in satisfaction across nurses' sociodemographic characteristics were analyzed using SPSS version 28. A p-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: A total of 109 newly hired nurses were included in the final analysis. Overall, participants reported high overall satisfaction with the program (8.18±1.72). Participants' self-perceptions of the program's effectiveness in building communication skills (r: 0.483), elucidating policies and regulations (r: 0.484), and improving the understanding of interdepartmental responsibilities (r: 0.497) were the strongest factors associated with increased overall satisfaction. Self-perceived satisfaction scores across the questionnaire's 30 items were statistically indifferent between genders of nurses. Among different departments, nurses in the ER had relatively the lowest overall satisfaction. Similarly, nurses of Arab origin demonstrated lower satisfaction compared to their non-Arab counterparts. CONCLUSION: An evidence-based 90-day onboarding program was associated with a high sense of fitness and belonging among newly hired nurses. Moreover, the findings shed light on the transitional shock experienced when nurses start their practical careers after graduation. As this was a cross-sectional study, these associations should not be interpreted as causal, and it remains unclear whether high rates of satisfaction will translate into higher employee retention in the long term.