Abstract
ABSTRACT
Significance/Background
New graduate nurses experience substantial stress during the transition from student to professional practice, which may compromise their well‐being and professional practice capabilities. While resilience has been identified as a protective psychological resource, limited longitudinal research has examined how resilience influences professional performance over time or whether well‐being functions as a mediating mechanism. Understanding these dynamic relationships is critical for informing evidence‐based strategies to support early‐career nurses.
Aims
This study aimed to (1) examine temporal changes in resilience, well‐being, and professional practice capabilities during the first 3 months of employment among new graduate nurses; (2) investigate associations among these variables; and (3) test whether well‐being mediates the relationship between resilience and professional practice capabilities.
Methods
A three‐month longitudinal study was conducted with 72 newly graduated nurses. Measures of resilience, well‐being, and five domains of professional practice capabilities (patient‐centered care, interdisciplinary teamwork, evidence‐based practice, quality improvement, and technology application) were collected at baseline, 2 weeks, and 3 months. Pearson's
r
correlations, generalized estimating equations (GEEs), and Monte Carlo simulations were performed to examine temporal associations and indirect effects.
Results/Findings
Resilience was significantly associated with well‐being (B = 1.285,
p
Linking Evidence to Action
Resilience serves as a foundational psychological resource that supports new graduate nurses' professional practice capabilities. Well‐being serves as a key mechanism translating resilience into evidence‐based nursing behaviors. Early‐career interventions that strengthen resilience and promote well‐being may enhance professional practice capabilities and improve workforce retention during the critical transition period.