Abstract
Nurse residency programs address the preparation-practice gap by improving the confidence and skills of newly licensed registered nurses and increasing retention rates. Little is known about how persons involved in nurse residency programs influence new nurses' transition to practice. A qualitative descriptive study revealed five attributes of residency program directors, educators, preceptors, mentors, unit leaders, colleagues, and peers that either hindered or facilitated new nurses' transition to practice. Implications for residency program development are addressed.