Fueling the Future: Building Confidence in the Novice Nurse

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between confidence in novice nurses and outcomes related to burnout, retention, and quality of care. This review also evaluates interventions that may enhance confidence during the transition to practice. Background: Confidence is crucial for novice nurses as they transition to independent practice. However, the COVID-19 pandemic reduced hands-on learning through limited clinical placements and a rapid shift to online education. Many novice nurses enter the workforce with low confidence in essential skills. Insufficient confidence poses risks to patient safety, contributes to burnout, and leads to turnover; ultimately, creating substantial costs for healthcare systems. Methods: A literature review was conducted using CINAHL, Medline, and Embase databases. Search terms included building confidence in novice nurses, strategies to teach confidence in nursing education, learning environments that foster confidence, and competence in clinical skills related to confidence. Results: Two themes arose from the literature. The first theme highlights educational strategies such as didactic instruction and simulation-based learning to improve confidence. The second emphasizes human support using mentors and resource nurses to guide novice nurses. Conclusion: Patricia Benner’s Novice to Expert framework guided analysis, emphasizing the progressive development of clinical confidence through structured support. A transition-to-practice program is recommended, integrating didactic and simulation learning, with a formal mentorship program, and clinical resource nurses available for novice nurses. Extending support across the first years of practice can build confidence, reduce burnout, improve retention, and enhance quality of care.