The transition from classroom to clinic is one of the most critical phases in an advanced practice provider’s (APP) career. For new nurse practitioners, physician associates and midwives, effective clinical onboarding is essential to build confidence, reinforce foundational skills and ensure long-term success in patient care.
To ThriveAP, onboarding is more than a box to check. It’s a comprehensive, structured experience designed to guide APPs as they move into practice, and few understand this better than ThriveAP clinical faculty leader Kelly Sakoian, DNP, FNP-C, who leads ThriveAP’s Women’s Health and Primary Care transition-to-practice programs.
Through her experience as an APP, and findings she’s uncovered while instructing ThriveAP’s inaugural Women’s Health program, Sakoian is well versed in best practices for designing and delivering a strong clinical onboarding experience for novice providers. Here are five of the most important ones she recommends:
- Structure the Learning Pathway Around Real-World Workflows
One of the most effective ways to support novice APPs is by designing a structured learning pathway that mirrors what they will encounter in clinical practice. Rather than overwhelming clinicians with broad content and expectations, a well-sequenced onboarding program should align with real patient scenarios and care patterns, as well as the typical flow of a normal clinical workday. This helps providers contextualize what they’re learning and apply it more confidently from the start.
At ThriveAP, this approach comes to life through core curriculum blocks that span four to six weeks. Each block is organized around clinical relevance. For example, in the Women’s Health track, APPs begin with routine pregnancy care before advancing into modules on complications and higher-acuity scenarios. This intentional sequencing supports both retention and confidence, allowing learners to build clinical knowledge layer by layer in a practical context.
- Fill in the Gaps School Didn’t Cover
While graduate education offers a solid clinical foundation, many APPs enter practice with limited exposure to essential, but often overlooked, tasks. These can range from managing email inbox messages to understanding lab results or coordinating care across teams.
ThriveAP addresses these gaps by incorporating professional development concepts into each session. These focused segments help APPs streamline their work, improve communication and gain confidence in their day-to-day responsibilities, all of which are vital for long-term success and job satisfaction.
- Pair New APPs with Faculty Support and Mentorship
For those new in their career, early support can make all the difference. One of the most effective onboarding strategies is creating a sense of connection and mentorship with colleagues. This can be achieved by pairing learners with more experienced clinicians who can guide them through not only the clinical content if they need support, but also the nuances of real-world practice. A “buddy system” model also helps new APPs feel more supported and less isolated and more confident when seeking clarification.
- Create Space for Discussion and Critical Thinking
In addition to structured presentations, successful onboarding programs should offer space for active reflection and deeper learning. ThriveAP reserves the final portion of each session for professional dialogue, addressing real-world challenges and reviewing journal articles through a formal journal club. This approach builds research appraisal skills and keeps participants current on clinical advances.
This dedicated time for critical thinking helps APPs develop the skills needed to stay up to date on treatments, clinical guidelines and best practices beyond their onboarding year.
- Stay Responsive with Continuous Curriculum Review
Effective onboarding is not a static process. The most impactful programs include intentional feedback loops to evaluate what’s working, identify gaps and adapt to evolving clinical and learner needs. As healthcare changes and new caregivers bring fresh perspectives to their work each day, onboarding content should stay flexible and responsive to meet the real-time needs of incoming providers.
ThriveAP integrates this mindset into its curriculum development process. Feedback is collected through regular assessments, post-session surveys and end-of-program evaluations. Clinical faculty and curriculum committees review this input to refine course content, replace less relevant sessions and introduce new topics based on participant suggestions.
By continuously aligning content with learner needs and industry changes, onboarding remains relevant, useful and effective.
Final Thoughts
A strong clinical onboarding program provides more than a smooth transition to practice; it creates a foundation for confident, competent care delivery. Whether you are designing an internal program or working with a partner like ThriveAP, the key is to meet providers where they are and support their development in every step of their career journey.
To learn more about ThriveAP’s transition-to-practice programs and how they support APPs in clinical settings, connect with a member of our team.
About Our Faculty
Kelly Sakoian has been a Family Nurse Practitioner practicing in primary care for the past ten years. She loves primary care as it allows providers to care for patients and families of all ages, helping them to navigate their medical conditions and challenging times.
Sakoian received her BSN from Penn State University, MSN from Duquesne University, and her Doctor of Nursing Practice from Gannon University. Previously, she practiced as a bedside nurse in a women’s hospital caring for women recovering from gynecologic, plastic or oncologic surgery. In addition, she practiced in the emergency department of a trauma hospital, which helped her develop an appreciation for the vast array of reasons patients seek medical care.
