Workforce Integration of New Graduate Nurses: Evaluation of a Health Human Resources Employment Policy

Assessment of the impact of the Nursing Graduate Guarantee on full-time employment and workforce integration of new graduate nurses in Ontario indicated that full- time employment of new graduates nurses increased during the study period and that mentorship facilitated workforce integration.

Abstract

Historically, economic changes have negatively affected the nursing workforce in Ontario. The trend towards part-time and casual employment emerged from healthcare restructuring in the 1990s. The severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak in 2003 alerted the Ontario government to the issue of part-time and casual nursing. In 2007, the Nursing Graduate Guarantee (NGG), a health human resources employment policy, was developed as a financial incentive for employers to hire and mentor new graduate nurses for a six-month period. The purpose of this study was to examine facilitators and barriers to policy implementation and assess the impact of the NGG on full-time employment and workforce integration of new graduate nurses in Ontario. A mixed-methods approach was used and included surveys, interviews and focus groups. Results indicated that full-time employment of new graduate nurses increased during the study period and that mentorship facilitated workforce integration of new graduate nurses.