Expert Nurse to Novice Nurse Practitioner: The Journey and How to Improve the Process

The transition from novice nurse to expert nurse has been widely studied, most notably by Patricia Benner; less is known about the transition from expert nurse to new nurse practitioner (NP). Novice NPs come from highly diverse backgrounds, with variable levels of experience in health care. Transition shock is common and can be decreased with proper preceptorship and mentors, establishing a good knowledge base, forming successful workplace relationships, joining a novice NP group, and seeking frequent evaluations. This report reviews the literature and discusses our experience leading a novice NP group at a large, academic, urban hospital.