Background Support from a workplace referent (e.g., formal and/or informal mentor) is recognized as a key organizational resource, yet its effect on new nurses’ psychological resources, occupational health, and occupational functioning remains unexplored at career start. Aim This study contrasts new nurses’ work experiences based on their perception of having (or not) the support from a workplace referent during their professional integration. Specifically, we examine whether this perception is related to their personal psychological resources, occupational health, and occupational functioning. Design A cross‐sectional descriptive comparative study was conducted. Methods This study relies on self‐reported data from a convenient sample of 297 new nurses (≤ two years of experience), either with or without a workplace referent. Results In total, 222 reported referent support, compared to 75. T ‐tests (SPSS, version 29) showed significant differences: nurses with referent support reported greater fulfillment of autonomy and relatedness, higher vigor, and less emotional exhaustion than their counterparts. Also, they reported higher work engagement and less intention to quit the profession. Conclusions The support from a workplace referent is important at career start due to its association with the personal resources mobilized by nurses to adapt to their job. Autonomy and relatedness are linked to perceived support; competence and psychological resilience seem less context‐dependent, potentially reflecting individual dispositions shaped by prior experience. These results open new avenues to better support nurses in their transition to practice. Relevance for Practice The results underscore the importance of the support of workplace referents in relation to the psychological resources of new nurses and to their integration into clinical practice. They offer recommendations for designing more intentional and structured organizational strategies for formal and informal peer support in early‐career nursing practice.
Gagnon-Béland et al. (Thu,) studied this question.