As nursing professional development (NPD) practitioners, we are well-prepared to support nurses experiencing transitions in practice. We build robust orientation programs to provide clinical foundations, we connect individuals to peers and mentors for socialization, and we often offer ongoing support for extended time periods throughout orientation and beyond. We even have tools and best practices to guide us in this work. These include nursing theories that provide a framework for those in transition (Duchscher, 2009; Kramer, 1974), and theories that allow us to confidently plot an individual's experiences along the novice to expert continuum (Benner, 2016).

But, when it comes to our own role transitions, are we prepared to give ourselves the same level of support? There is mounting evidence to prepare bedside nurses to take on education roles for the first time, but there remains a gap in how to support ongoing role development for NPD practitioners and how to aid the transitions within NPD roles.

I recently transitioned from a clinical educator role to a manager of a nursing professional development department at a large multi-site healthcare system. While I knew transitions were hard, and I anticipated a steep learning curve, I still struggled to confidently establish myself in a new role and support my own transition. It took some time for me to understand what I needed and build the support that ultimately made my transition smoother. From my own experience, I aimed to outline some key resources that helped me and will better prepare other NPD practitioners for their successful role transitions.

Networking With Peers

Azimian et al, (2014) conducted a study exploring factors affecting nurses' coping with transitions and concluded that healthy workplace relationships are a cornerstone for successful role transition. In switching roles, I had left my previous peer group and joined the new team as a manager. Making peer connections wasn't easy. It took reaching beyond my NPD team to build a community of peers, which included clinical and non-clinical managers of nursing, system program managers, and NPD leaders outside of my organization. I became active on The Association for Nursing Professional Development’s (ANPD) discussion boards (now members can join ANPD’s discussion board the Neighborhood), joined social networking platforms to search for other NPD practitioners and sent messages to individuals who seemed to be asking similar questions to mine or were open to conversations. This led to a wonderful network of peers, a few who I met up with at the 2024 ANPD Aspire Convention, and several who I continue to connect with regularly.

Not only is peer socialization important for the individual, but those who are competent in building relationships are better prepared to be a part of and lead strong cohesive teams (McGarity, 2020). Additionally, healthy relationships lead to higher rates of job satisfaction (Halcomb, 2018). NPD practitioners in search of peers should explore networking opportunities available through their organization or professional communities such as ANPD. To connect, NPD practitioners should not be afraid to speak up, pose a question, initiate conversation, and put themselves out there to grow their network.

Mentorship

The importance of mentoring relationships to support nurses in transitions is well documented in the nursing literature (Council, 2021; McCloughen, 2010; Ward-Smith, et al, 2023). Mentors guide, encourage, and coach protégés to develop goals and meet personal milestones and offer their experience to support their mentees across the novice to expert continuum. In the early weeks of my transition, I reached out to several mentors from my past for guidance and set up regular meetings. These mentors were individuals I had worked with previously and had met through ANPD, local organizations, and networking events. They knew my strengths and opportunities, asked me questions, and shared ideas that helped me integrate different perspectives. They offered their experiences as lessons for my own growth and each conversation equipped me with new tools to bring to my current work challenges. 

NPD practitioners can help themselves in their continuing professional development, and particularly in their transitions, by working with a mentor. If NPD practitioners don’t know how to find a mentor, they can reach out to a senior leader within their department or make connections through ANPD. There are many individuals willing to support who are just an ask away.

Embrace the Novice

When NPD practitioners transition from one role to another, they take with them their expertise in the field, but in many ways become a novice again. Like nurses transitioning from one clinical specialty to another, it takes time to rebuild skills in a new practice setting. To help myself ensure I wasn’t moving too fast throughout my transition, I met with several nursing leaders and asked them about my new role and how they saw us working together in the future. I took notes and jotted down questions or ideas to refer to later. I asked my supervisor what she expected of me in the first six months and ensured my priorities aligned with her vision and timeline. Being clear about expectations and embracing myself as a novice helped me not rush into projects or initiatives I wasn’t prepared for yet. It allowed me to prioritize forming connections and build relationships that ultimately helped my long-term success. NPD practitioners who can step into the novice experience will learn a great deal and be more successful in the long-term. This will ensure their impact is well thought out and in line with strategic and departmental priorities.

Practice and Feedback

As with many new endeavors, it takes time and practice to reach proficiency. A foundational piece of our role, as outlined in the Nursing Professional Development Scope and Standards of Practice, involves coordinating transition in practice and offering guidance and feedback in support of a nurse’s role development (Harper & Maloney, 2022). In my new role I didn’t have a formal orientation checklist or preceptor to learn from, so I relied on trying new things, learning from my mistakes, and using feedback to inform my next steps. Similarly to how direct care nurses can utilize simulation activities to practice before they encounter scenarios in real-life, I attended webinars, workshops, and worked with my mentors to practice elements of my role. Areas that I focused on included strengthening my active listening skills, creating a culture of feedback, and goal setting for teams. 

Ultimately, this was my first management job, and I was new at leading others. I needed to have grace with myself and ask my team for forgiveness when I made mistakes along the way. I invited my direct reports to support me in my transition by asking for feedback often. I also looked to my supervisor to identify ways I could improve, and I incorporated each of those elements into my next steps. If you aren't asking your peers, supervisors, and partners for 360-degree feedback, you're missing an opportunity to improve your skills and build trust with your colleagues (Sherman, 2021).

Final Thoughts

Recognizing that NPD practitioners often provide support rather than receive it is the first step in supporting your own role transition. If you've been through a recent role change, or are anticipating one coming up, reflect on what's worked for you in the past and how those elements can be built into your own orientation. Establish connections through peers and mentors to help support you in your professional development. Be open to learning from others and humble when (not if) you make mistakes. Finally, practice by trying new things and asking for feedback. Transitions are a journey and allowing yourself to grow along the way is nursing professional development at its best.

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References

Azimian, J., Negarandeh, R., & Fakhr-Movahedi, A. (2014). Factors affecting nurses' coping with transition: an exploratory qualitative study. Global journal of health science, 6(6), 88–95.

Council, K., &.Bowers, C.. (2021). Preparing mentors: A review of the literature. Journal for Nurses in Professional Development, 37(6), p.341-343. DOI: 10.1097/NND.0000000000000724

Duchscher, J. E. (2009). Transition shock: The initial stage of role adaptation for newly graduated registered nurses. J Adv Nurs,65(5), 1103-13.

Halcomb, E., Smyth, E., & McInnes, S. (2018). Job satisfaction and career intentions of registered nurses in primary health care: An integrative review. BMC family practice, 19(1), 136. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12875-018-0819-1

Harper M. G., & Maloney P. (2022). Nursing professional development scope and standards of practice (4th ed.). Association for Nursing Professional Development.

Kramer M. (1974). Reality Shock: Why Nurses Leave Nursing. St. Louis, MO: C.V. Mosby Co.

McCloughen, A., O'Brien, L., & Jackson, D. (2010). More than vision: Imagination as an elemental characteristic of being a nurse leader-mentor. Advances in Nursing Science, 33(4), p.285-296.DOI: 10.1097/ANS.0b013e3181fb2e62

McGarity, T.,Reed, C., Monahan, L., &Zhao, M.. (2020). Innovative frontline nurse leader professional development program. Journal for Nurses in Professional Development, 36(5), p.277-282.DOI: 10.1097/NND.0000000000000628

Sherman, R., & Cohn, T. (2021, May). Benefits of feedback for nurses. Nurseline. https://www.myamericannurse.com/nurse-leaders-benefit-from-feedback

Ward-Smith, P., . Peacock, A., .Pilbeam, S., & Porter, V..(2023). Retention outcomes when a structured mentoring program is provided as part of new graduate orientation. Journal for Nurses in Professional Development, 39(4), p.E75-E80. DOI: 10.1097/NND.0000000000000849