Effects of a Connection-Enhancement Program for Newly Employed Generation Z Nurses.

Nurses play a critical role in frontline healthcare and directly contribute to the quality of patient care. Newly employed nurses, however, may experience considerable stress during the transition into professional clinical practice. Developing supportive interventions that facilitate workplace adaptation, strengthen resilience, reduce stress and burnout, and promote intention to stay is therefore important for supporting the well-being and professional development of newly employed nurses.

This study is a randomized controlled trial designed to develop and evaluate a connection-enhancement program for newly employed Generation Z nurses working in a military hospital. Approximately 80 eligible nurses will be recruited and randomly assigned to an intervention group or a control group. Participants in the control group will receive conventional orientation education for newly employed nurses. Participants in the intervention group will receive conventional orientation education plus the connection-enhancement program.

The connection-enhancement program is a four-week intervention designed according to characteristics and needs of Generation Z nurses. The program incorporates technology-assisted learning and emphasizes interpersonal connection, relationship building, resilience, emotional awareness, self-compassion, stress management, and workplace adaptation. The intervention will be delivered by trained research personnel once weekly for approximately 50-60 minutes per session. Sessions may be conducted individually or in groups depending on clinical circumstances and will incorporate presentations, multimedia materials, guided exercises, case-based activities, reflection, and brief discussions.

The first session, "Workplace Adaptation and Stress Awareness for Newly Employed Nurses," focuses on common sources of workplace stress, transition into the professional nursing role, psychological safety, recognition of psychological and physical responses to stress, and basic stress-management concepts.

The second session, "Emotional Awareness and Mindfulness-Based Regulation," introduces emotional awareness and emotion-regulation concepts through multimedia materials and presentations. Participants will also engage in brief mindfulness breathing exercises to enhance awareness of their emotional and physical responses and develop strategies for regulating emotions in stressful situations.

The third session, "Self-Support, Psychological Resilience, and Team Connection," introduces concepts of self-compassion and self-care and uses guided reflection to facilitate positive self-talk and self-support. Participants will learn about psychological resilience and coping strategies, identify support resources that may be used in clinical practice, and develop listening skills to strengthen interpersonal and team connections.

The fourth session, "Physical and Psychological Relaxation and Adaptation to Shift Work," introduces relaxation techniques, including progressive muscle relaxation and breathing exercises, to facilitate rapid physical and psychological regulation during stressful situations. Strategies related to circadian rhythm adjustment, sleep, and adaptation to shift work will also be discussed. Experiences shared by senior nurses will be incorporated to help participants understand strategies for adapting to shift work. The session will conclude with a review of the program and participant feedback.

Workplace scenarios and clinical experiences provided by the research team or experienced nurses will be incorporated into the program to facilitate participants' understanding of common workplace stressors and coping strategies. Participants may voluntarily share their own experiences but will not be required to disclose personal information.

Study outcomes will be assessed before and after the intervention. Participants will complete online questionnaires assessing psychological resilience, perceived stress, nurse burnout, self-compassion, professional commitment, and self-efficacy, along with demographic information. Salivary cortisol will also be collected as a physiological measure. Saliva samples will be collected between 8:00 AM and 10:00 AM using a disposable saliva collection device. Participants will be instructed to brush their teeth or rinse their mouths beforehand and to refrain from eating or drinking, particularly caffeinated beverages, for one hour before sample collection.

The study will evaluate whether the connection-enhancement program improves resilience and related psychological and occupational outcomes among newly employed Generation Z nurses and will provide evidence regarding its potential application as a supportive intervention for newly employed nurses in military hospital settings.