New hire check-ins - how the “when” and “who” impact RN retention

What the data says

The chart above illustrates that performing new hire check-ins at 30 or 45 days is linked to a 6-percentage point increase in first-year RN retention on average. This data includes both managers and assistant managers. The green star indicates statistical significance, while the whiskers represent the 95% credible intervals.

The chart above highlights the effect of 30- or 45-day new hire check-ins depending on whether a manager or assistant manager conducts them. When a manager leads them, it correlates with a statistically significant 10-percentage point increase in first-year RN retention. Conversely, the data shows a 6-percentage point decrease in retention when an assistant manager conducts them. 

In contrast, on average, as shown in the top chart, conducting new hire check-ins at 60 or 90 days has little to no effect on first-year RN retention. One possible explanation is that in some organizations, the 90-day check-in serves primarily as a formal confirmation of successful onboarding, with discussions focusing more on procedural matters rather than meaningful engagement. 

Finally, the final data element in the top chart shows that check-ins at 6 or 9 months increase first-year RN retention by 10 percentage points. This may be because it signifies the organization's ongoing commitment to the nurse's experience and success well beyond their first few weeks.

What it means

The implication of the top chart is that new hire check-ins are particularly powerful contributors to strong retention in early-tenure nurses.

One interpretation of the second chart is that when managers personally prioritize these early interactions, it likely signals their commitment to the new hire’s development. Conversely, a lack of direct engagement in this critical touchpoint may lead employees to question how invested their manager is in their job satisfaction or professional development, influencing their future relationship with their manager and organization, and thus their decision to stay.
Regardless of who conducts the check-ins, they need to be intentional and meaningful, avoiding “check the box” activities that lack purposeful connections (as may be common at the 90-day mark). 

Since this data reflects an average across various teams and organizations, it may also capture differences in the role of assistant managers at different organizations and variation in how teams perceive them. In teams where staff see assistant managers as integral members of leadership, the impact of their check-ins may vary.

Other ways to enhance support for early-tenure nurses

The Spring 2025 AONL-Laudio report, “Early-Tenure Nurse Retention: Trends and Leader Strategies,” where these charts first appeared, includes a few ideas for executives and managers looking to invest further in their early-tenure RNs:

Focus on psychological safety

• Strategically place new hires in departments or units with strong work environments to foster positive socialization and gradually build psychological safety. Establishing dedicated “orientation units” with supportive teams experienced in onboarding early-tenure nurses can help organizations achieve this.
  
  
• If early-tenure nurses work in environments with low psychological safety, prioritize initiatives such as manager or team skills training to improve workplace culture.
  
  
• Set clear expectations by framing the work as complex and unpredictable, reinforcing that challenges and mistakes are a natural part of the learning process.
  
  
• Encourage managers and senior nurses to respond to questions, ideas, and mistakes with curiosity and support, helping to maintain and strengthen psychological safety.

Supplement managers with experienced nurse mentors

• One organization uses experienced or retired nurses as mentors to provide guidance and support to early-tenure nurses. Programs like these pair each mentor with a small group of new nurses and follow a structured mentorship guide. The organization compensates mentors for their mentoring time as “faculty time.”
  
  
• Another organization implemented a buddy system, where the manager assigns each new hire a buddy who reaches out before their first day. Communication is primarily through text, and the unit expects all nurses to participate as buddies.
  
  
• Another organization is planning a mentor program for post-residency nurses to offer continuous support. To incentivize mentors, they plan to provide non-wage rewards like electronic journal subscriptions, podcast memberships, stethoscopes, uniforms or accessories, and priority for time off.
  
  For additional findings on early-tenure retention trends and the impact of new hire check-ins, along with practical strategies to bolster retention efforts, access the Laudio-AONL spring report here.