According to Hoffart, Waddel, and Young (2011), 6- and 12-month internships allowed for greater nurse peer relationships and increased the new RN's burden on the profession. Despite these findings, there is no unequivocal evidence that professional patient care is improved by these residencies (Hoffart, Waddell & Young, 2011). Research also implies that extensive orientations, with experienced preceptors, help facilitate the transition, but there must also be educational adjustments (Pellico, Brewer & Kovner, 2009). One effective approach initiated by partner schools and hospitals is a cooperative education program in which paid experience is incorporated into the curriculum; other school-hospital partnerships offer similar SN residency and mentorship programs (Hoffart, Waddell & Young, 2011). Participants in such programs expressed greater self-confidence and comfort in practice; Additionally, hospitals have reported both reduced orientation costs and lower nurse turnover for those hired outside of the program (Hoffart, Waddell & Young, 2011). Of course, the lack of paid experience opportunities that exist, for SNs, is a limitation to such research, the competitiveness in getting into such a program can create a bias in outcomes based on the cream of the crop of students selected (Hoffart, Waddell & Young, 2011). As in the last three decades, the evolution from SN to RN continues to be so