Nurse practitioner and physician assistant transition to practice: A scoping review of fellowships and onboarding programs

Authors

Perri Morgan, Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina.
Hilary Barnes, School of Nursing, Widener University, Chester, Pennsylvania.
Heather R. Batchelder, Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina.
Brandi Tuttle, Medical Center Library and Archives, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina.
Asefeh Faraz Covelli, School of Nursing, George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia.
Christine Everett, Department of Population Health Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina.
George L. Jackson, Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina.
Lorraine Anglin, Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina.
Nathalie Ortiz Pate, College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences, Campbell University, Buies Creek, North Carolina. JAANP and JAAPA have arranged to publish this article simultaneously in the December 2023 issues. Although the two articles have minor style differences, they are essentially the same.
Patricia Dieter, Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina.
Janelle Bludorn, Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina.

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

12-1-2023

Journal

Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners

Volume

35

Issue

12

DOI

10.1097/JXX.0000000000000932

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Newly graduated nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician assistants (PAs) benefit from transition-to-practice (TTP) support to move successfully into practice. Transition-to-practice programs (i.e., onboarding programs and fellowships/residencies) hold promise for improving workforce outcomes. PURPOSE: The purpose of this scoping review was to describe the literature regarding NP/PA TTP programs. METHODOLOGY: Using the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology, a specific approach for systematically conducting reviews, publications from January 1990 to May 2022 were included for review if they addressed fellowships/residencies or onboarding programs for NPs or PAs. Final data extraction involved 216 articles. RESULTS: The pace of publication increased over time, with a noticeable increase since 2015. Articles were most commonly about fellowships/residencies, NPs, and programs set in United States nonrural, acute care settings, and academic health centers. CONCLUSIONS/IMPLICATIONS: There is a gap in our understanding of onboarding programs and programs focusing on PAs, as well as TTP support in rural and primary care settings. In addition, there are few articles that assess TTP program outcomes such as benefits and costs. This review describes the need for more published literature in these areas.

APA Citation

Morgan, Perri; Barnes, Hilary; Batchelder, Heather R.; Tuttle, Brandi; Faraz Covelli, Asefeh; Everett, Christine; Jackson, George L.; Anglin, Lorraine; Ortiz Pate, Nathalie; Dieter, Patricia; and Bludorn, Janelle, "Nurse practitioner and physician assistant transition to practice: A scoping review of fellowships and onboarding programs" (2023). GW Authored Works. Paper 4034.
https://hsrc.himmelfarb.gwu.edu/gwhpubs/4034

Department

Nursing Faculty Publications