It was an average day on the medical surgical unit that changed the trajectory of my nursing career. I was working alongside a novice nurse who walked out of a room and asked, “Can anyone help me with an IV?” I offered to help, promptly initiated the IV, and circled back to notify my coworker. My quiet satisfaction in helping was met with tears. As I spoke to her, she voiced her fears: “I am never going to be good enough.” I tried to reassure her that she was okay and she would get there, but it took time. She dried her tears, and the day continued.

Within a few months, that nurse left her job. Sadly, within the year, she left nursing altogether. It was devastating because she was going to be a great nurse. The nursing profession lost a potentially great nurse because she lacked confidence and we did not adequately support her. I grappled with what I could have done differently. How could we prevent the loss of future nurse colleagues? This experience led me to become a Nursing Professional Development Specialist and a leader in transition-to-practice (TTP) programs.

We all have a role to play in bridging the gap between students and professional nurses. Whether starting a first job or moving into a new clinical setting, it is important for new nurses to feel supported (Kiger et al.,2023; Knighten & Yvanovich, 2023). Despite TTP programs being designed to help new nurses build skills to succeed, first-year turnover rates remain high at 31% (Nursing Solutions Inc., 2026). Gaps in critical thinking can make the transition to practice overwhelming, affecting confidence, competence, and ultimately retention.

TTP programs alone cannot lower new nurse turnover without a healthy work environment and leader support. Nurse leaders, nurse educators, and nursing colleagues are essential to closing the academic practice gap and fostering a smooth transition to practice. New nurses must be encouraged to actively participate in their own learning. By cultivating a spirit of inquiry and professional curiosity, we can create a safe place for new nurses to learn and grow.

What is Professional Curiosity

Professional curiosity involves creativity, empathy, and proactively seeking information to improve decision-making and patient outcomes (Taheri et al., 2024). It supports critical thinking and clinical decisions to provide safe patient care (Hendecki, 2025; Zainal et al., 2025). Curiosity is an essential communication skill in which the nurse actively listens, engages in meaningful dialogue, and empowers the patient to participate in their care (Timmermann et al., 2026). Professional curiosity and critical thinking are linked to new nurses’ confidence and competence.

Leaders Promoting Professional Curiosity

Nurse leaders create a safe environment where new nurses can develop a strong learning mindset. By supporting continuous learning and promoting a culture of knowledge sharing, leaders help new nurses thrive. Nurses in leadership positions, particularly those in nurse educator or preceptor roles, have a unique opportunity to foster professional curiosity. Investing in preceptor development is key to preparing supportive mentors who guide novice nurses with confidence, encouragement, and a clear path through their transition to practice. Additionally, nurse educators create a curriculum for novice nurses to develop critical thinking and communication skills.

The Preceptor’s Role

Preceptors play a central role in fostering a caring environment where constructive feedback reflects a genuine commitment to each nurse’s success. This feedback conveys that the preceptor cares and is invested in the preceptee. Preceptors encourage curiosity, promote competence, and strengthen communication with patients and the healthcare team by encouraging new nurses to ask questions, seek understanding, and explore solutions. Nurse leaders cultivate curiosity in the following ways:

• Incorporate clinical questioning into the day
• Promote communication with SBAR
• Work together to find answers
• Is the information in the chart?
• Is there a policy?
• What’s the evidence?
• Use reflection: What do you think would happen if…
• Use probative questions – “tell me more.”
• Build trust with patients by asking, “ What matters to you?

By integrating communication training and critical thinking into the curriculum, nurse educators facilitate the transition to practice and promote professional curiosity. Nurse leaders must create a safe work environment where professional curiosity is encouraged by trained preceptors. When we foster a culture of inquiry, new nurses gain critical thinking, build confidence and competence, and ultimately improve new nurse retention.

References

Hendekci A. (2025). Innovation, curiosity, exploration, and critical thinking dispositions of nursing students who have and have not taken an innovative thinking course. Nursing & health sciences, 27(2), e70127. https://doi.org/10.1111/nhs.70127

Kiger, C., Draucker, C. & Otte, J. (2023). The attributes and influence of individuals associated with newly licensed registered nurses in nurse residency programs. Journal for Nurses in Professional Development, 39 (3), 143-149. https://doi.org/10.1097/NND.0000000000000869 .

Knighten, M. & Yvanovich, M. (2023). Transition to perioperative specialty practice. Nursing Administration Quarterly, 47 (4), 313-319. https://doi.org/10.1097/NAQ.0000000000000598

Nursing Solutions Inc. (NSI) (March 2026). 2026 NSI national health care retention & staffing report. NSI_National_Health_Care_Retention_Report.pdf

Taheri, F., Nasiri, A., & Green, C. (2024). Clarifying the Concept of Professional Curiosity in Nursing: A Concept Analysis with Walker and Avant Approach. Nursing Forum, 2024, 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1155/2024/1084372

Timmermann, C., Prinds, C., Stenfors, T., & Ammentorp, J. (2026). Curious on curiosity – a qualitative study on curiosity in healthcare communication. Patient Education and Counseling, 147, 109513. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pec.2026.109513

Zainal, N. H., Islam, M. A., Rasudin, N. S., Mamat, Z., Hanis, T. M., Rodzlan Hasani, W. S., & Musa, K. I. (2025). Critical thinking and clinical decision making among registered nurses in clinical practice: A systematic review and me-ta-analysis. Nursing reports (Pavia, Italy), 15(5), 175. https://doi.org/10.3390/nursrep15050175