New graduate nurse self-concept and retention: A longitudinal survey

Graduate nurse attrition is an increasing phenomenon within a world of decreasing nursing numbers. The newly developed nursing self-concept of the graduate nurse may provide a key indicator for predicting graduate retention. This study explores the development of multiple dimensions of nursing self-concept and examines their relationship to graduate nurse retention plans. A descriptive survey design with repeated measures was utilised to assess nurse self-concept and retention plans. The key findings suggest that multiple dimensions of graduate nurse self-concepts rise significantly in the second half of their graduate year and that nurse general self-concept is a strong predictor of graduate nurse retention. The implications of this study are that monitoring of self-concept throughout the transitional period for new nurses can lead to early detection and appropriate intervention strategies thereby improving retention rates for new nurses. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.