AimTo inform the development of statewide core competencies for new graduate nurses at the beginning of their professional career and after completing a 12-month nurse residency program. Background:Although studies have attempted to clarify the expected core competencies of new graduate nurses at the beginning of their professional career, results are mixed. Additionally, nurse residency program competency expectations vary. DesignA retrospective cross-sectional study using a purposive sample of a national nurse residency program database. MethodsWilcoxon Signed Rank tests compared retrospective self-report data between 1 January 2017 and 31 December 2019, from 2916 acute care hospital new graduate nurses working in the state of Maryland, USA, to examine their perceptions of competency at hire and after completing a nationally standardized 12-month nurse residency program. The study used the six domains contained in the Casey Fink Graduate Nurse Experience Survey© 2006 and the Vizient/AACN Nurse Residency Program™ Progression survey. ResultsNew graduate nurses' self-report of competency increased from a mean score of 4.81 to 6.67 on a scale of 0-10. At the program start, they reported a low level of comfort in three of the six survey domains: communication and leadership, high-intensity skills and patient safety. At 12 months, all new graduate nurses reported higher levels of comfort in all six survey domains, with statistically significant increases (Wilcoxon Signed Rank test, α =0.05). ConclusionsFour domains for ongoing competency development were identified for the nurse residency program curriculum—communication and leadership, patient safety, complex patient assignments and end-of-life care—with the expectation that new graduate nurses achieve competency at program completion. New graduate nurses’ perceptions corroborated findings from a statewide study of academicians and practice leaders, thus helping to develop realistic core competencies for new graduate nurses entering the workforce and after completing a 12-month nurse residency program.