From Recruitment to Retention: Evaluating the Experiences of Internationally Educated Nurses in the Supervised Practice Experience Partnership.

Accompanied by an unparalleled nursing shortage, the COVID-19 pandemic has prompted a nationwide health human resource recruitment drive focused on internationally educated nurses (IENs). The Supervised Practice Experience Partnership (SPEP) is a provincial strategy that provides IENs the opportunity to attain their supervised practice experience in Ontario. In order to sustain the nursing workforce, there is a need to go beyond recruitment strategies and implement evidence-informed approaches that retain IENs after meeting their registration requirements. Mixed-methods surveys and focus groups were used to evaluate the experiences of IENs, their preceptors and nurse leaders working with the SPEP. The findings highlight the value of mentorship and support from nurse leaders in developing communication skills, building connections with teams, fostering cultural integration and establishing support networks for IENs. This paper enhances nurse leaders' understanding of the experiences of IENs and establishes a foundation for innovative ideas that facilitates their integration and retention.

Implementing the STEADY Wellness Program to Support Healthcare Workers throughout the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic has posed an ongoing threat to the mental wellbeing of countless individuals worldwide, with healthcare workers at particularly high risk. We developed the STEADY staff wellness program prior to the pandemic based on the available literature and input from stakeholders, guided by the Knowledge-to-Action (KTA) Implementation Science Framework. We quickly adapted the STEADY program for implementation in selected high-need units within Canada's largest trauma hospital during the pandemic's first wave. This brief report describes implementation of the STEADY program, retroactively applying the structure of the Knowledge-to-Action Implementation Science Framework to the practical steps taken. We identified the importance of more frequent, shorter contact with HCWs that occurred in-person, with an emphasis on peer support. A flexible approach with strong support from hospital leadership were key facilitators. Our findings suggest that a flexible approach to practical program implementation, theoretically underpinned in best-practices, can result in an acceptable program that promotes increased HCW wellbeing during a pandemic.