The California Institute for Nursing and Health Care (CINHC) recently released its evaluation report for four San Francisco, California, registered nurse (RN) transition programs and found that 79 percent of this year's graduates have obtained jobs.

"These RN transition programs improved new graduates' hiring eligibility," said CINHC's project manager Nikki West. "And although these programs were launched in a difficult economic climate with a high state unemployment rate, they can enhance the preparation for nurses for employment at any time."

The special transition program was launched in 2011 when the CINHC found that 43 percent of licensed nurses who had earned certification between April 2010 and August 2011 had not yet found jobs. With the help of four nursing schools along with a number of hospitals and community agencies, the short, 12-18 week RN transition program was created specifically for unemployed nurses. A total of 330 recent nursing graduates enrolled in the program.

Some of the key components of the course include continuous assessments of students' critical thinking skills as well as one-on-one meetings with faculty.