Critical Appraisal Worksheet

Nurs 350
PICO Question: Can Experienced Nurse Mentors train new RN graduates in a manner that promotes employment retention over a two year period as compared to
new RN graduates who are not trained with Experienced Nurse Mentors?
Article

Nursing
Research
(Y/N)

Article/Reference
(author, year, title,
journal, volume, issue,
pages) Follow APA
formatting

Clinical
problem
variables and
definitions

Design/
Method
(indicate if
qualitative or
quantitative)

Sample/
Setting

Measurement/
Instruments

Data Analysis

Finding/
Results

Concerns/
Limitations
and
Significance
to Nursing

Glynn, P., & Silva, S.

(2013). Meeting the
needs of new graduates in
the emergency
department: A qualitative
study evaluating a new
graduate internship
program. Journal of
Emergency Nursing, 39,
173-8.
doi.org/10.1016/j.jen.2011.
10.007

examining the
experiences of
new graduate
nurses in an
internship
program

qualitative
design

Interviews
with 8 of 9
nurses who
participated
in a new
graduate
internship
program
at a 200-bed
community
hospital.

Content analysis
was used to
analyze the data.
Data saturation
was achieved
with 6 interviews,
but all 8 nurses
were interviewed
and data
from all
interviews were
analyzed.

role of the
clinical
preceptor
seems to be a
critical factor
in the success
of the new
graduate
nurse in the
ED

Small sample
size, from one
community
hospital.
Length of time
between
completion of
the program
and the
interview.

Parker, V., Giles, M.,

Lantry, G., McMillan, M.
(2014). New graduate

satisfaction and
likelihood
of retention for

mixed method
cross sectional
design,

282 new
graduates,
aged 21 to

The quantitative
core component
of the study was

The new
graduates
expectations of
the orientation
program
centered on 3
major themes:
(1) the
acquisition
of new
knowledge and
skills in the
specialty area,
including
the fine-tuning
of basic
assessment
skills and the
distinct
ability to both
prioritize
patients and
interventions;
(2) becoming
more proficient;
and (3)
assistance with
role
transition.
Quantitative
survey data
were analyzed

an urgent
need to
develop and

an inherent
bias of
only reaching

Level of
Evidence
(Suggest
using
Melnyk,
2011 see
below)
Level 6

Level 4

nurses' experiences in
their first year of practice.
Nurse Education Today,
34, 150156.
doi:10.1016/j.nedt.2012.07
.003

new nurse grads

quantitative
and qualitative
approaches.

54

supplemented by
qualitative
methods to
enhance
description and
provide
explanation,
survey developed
from a review of
the literature
Focus group
questions

with SPSS.
Differences in
scores were
compared with
Kruskal-Wallis
to identify
variables.
Qualitative
survey data
were coded and
themed

test a range of
evidenced
based
approaches
that will both
empower
nurses (new
graduates and
experienced
nurses) and
embed
systematic
approaches

The Institute of
Medicine
strongly
recommends the
development
and
implementation
of nurse
residency
programs
(NRPs) to
improve
retention of
nurses and
expand existing
competencies,
growing reports
of workplace
bullying threaten
nurses health
and wellbeing,
especially the
transition of
newly graduated
nurses

qualitative

system-level
newgraduate
nurse
residency
across
multiple
facilities.

Outcome
measures essential to
measuring the
effectiveness and
efficacy of
process
improvement

outcome
measures that
are tracked
and trended by
the facilities
studied

Effective RNs
are necessary
to assure the
future
workforce.
Programs to
support nurses
are vital for
transition to
patient care

qualitative

data from a
Canadian
study
of 342 newly
graduated
nurses with
less than two
years of
experience in
acute care
hospitals
across
Ontario.

a cross-sectional
survey design
theoretical
framework
integrated Avolio
et al.s
(2004) authentic
leadership model,
Einarsen et al.s
(1998)
notion of
workplace
bullying, and
Leiter and

Data analysis
was performed
using the
Statistical
Package for the
Social Sciences
(SPSS) (version
16.0) and
Analysis of
Moment
Structures
(AMOS)
statistical
software

The results
suggest that
efforts should
be made to
assist nurse
managers in
developing
and
implementing
authentic
leadership
practices
as part of a
strategy for

Little, J. P., Ditmer, D., &

Bashaw, M. A. (2013).
New graduate nurse
residency, A network
approach. The Journal of
Nursing Administration,
43(6).

Spence Laschinger, H. K.,

Wong, C. A., & Grau, A. L.
(2012). The influence of
authentic leadership on
newly graduated nurses
experiences of workplace
bullying, burnout and
retention outcomes: A
cross-sectional study.
International Journal of
Nursing Studies, 49,
12661276.

nurses
employed at
host sites, and
further, only
those
who were on
duty at the
time.
the sample
sizewas not
large enough
to meaningfully
examine the
experiences of
specific
sub-groups
None noted

limitations
which preclude
the ability to
make
statements of
cause and
effect

Level 5

Level 5

Hoffart, N., Waddell, A., &

Young, M. B. (2011). A
model of new nurse
transition. Journal of
Professional Nursing,
27(6), 334343.
doi:10.1016/j.profnurs.201
1.04.011

determining the
long-term
outcomes of
nurse transition
programs that
nursing schools
and hospitals
have used
independently or
collaboratively to
ease transition
to the workforce.

Qualitative,
quantitative

crossinstitutional
study;
privacy
protections,
difficulty of
tracking
graduates.

Maslachs
(2004) burnout
model

programmes
(version 17.0).

Review of
literature

constructs and
related
variables that
reflect both the
pregraduation
and the
postgraduation
sides of the
model.

eliminating
workplace
bullying and
burnout in
nursing work
environments.
Continuing
resource
constraints on
the health care
system
demand that
all new
nursing
graduates are
supported
through the
transition into
practice
period.

Coordinating
findings when
using data
from several
institutions

Level 5

Notes/Comments:
P Population: New RN graduates
I Intervention: Experienced Nurse Mentors
C Comparison Group: No Experienced Nurse Mentors
O Outcomes: to train new RN graduates in a manner that promotes retention
T Time: 5 years
Nurse Mentor, employment retention, graduate RN

You may also need to reference your agencies policy or clinical practice guideline (CPG) in your PICO paper if applicable. Make sure you have a
copy of this for reference.
Level of Evidence:
Level
Level
Level
Level
Level
Level
Level

1 - Systematic review & meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials; clinical guidelines based on systematic reviews or meta-analyses
2 - One or more randomized controlled trials
3 - Controlled trial (no randomization)
4 - Case-control or cohort study
5 - Systematic review of descriptive & qualitative studies
6 - Single descriptive or qualitative study
7 - Expert opinion

Source: Melnyk, B.M. & Fineout-Overholt, E. (2011). Evidence-based practice in nursing and healthcare: A guide to best practice. Philadelphia: Lippincott, Williams
& Wilkins.