Graduate RN Residency Program

The complexity of healthcare now requires new graduate nurses to attain an unprecedented level of competency to deliver high-quality safe care. Experts have called for, and new graduate nurses are requesting, that employers provide additional programmatic support for the transition from student to registered nurse.

Why We Believe in the New Graduate Residency Program

• Improve quality of patient care by providing additional training & support to new graduate RNs.

• Support development of highly- competent professionals who will provide patient care & leadership at the bedside.

• Improve job satisfaction – strengthen lifelong commitment to professional nursing.

• Transition from entry-level, advanced beginner to competent professional nurse that provides safe, quality care.

• Develop effective decision-making skills related to clinical judgment and performance.

• Develop strategies to incorporate research-based and other evidence into practice.

• Develop clinical leadership skills at the point of patient care.

Residency Program Design

• Graduates will work closely with a Clinical Coach. A Clinical Coach is a skilled and experienced nurse who uses a specific organized approach to learning, providing direct instruction, coaching, and evaluating the performance of the new nurses.

• Twelve month program that includes class-room settings and on the floor application with oversight by a team of master clinical coaches and educators.

• Twelve weeks of service line orientation, foundational residency curriculum and clinical unit orientation. The first ten weeks will consist of approximately one eight-hour shift, and two twelve-hour shifts, for a total of up to 40 hours weekly. After that, residents may move to night shift if that is their permanent shift, but will still attend a 4-hour core course for remainder of the year.

• Core curriculum is focused on leadership, patient quality outcomes, safety, patient satisfaction, and the advancement of nursing knowledge and experience.

A “new graduate” is defined as an RN who has been licensed for 12 months or less

• The residency will incorporate core nursing curriculum, competency development and unit orientations with education focused on clinical skills, critical thinking development, communication skills, and managing patient responsibilities and priorities. Best practices in learning and practice development will be employed.
• The residency will be 12 months in length. During this time, participants must be flexible in scheduling.
• Participants will be asked for a two-year commitment to Baptist Health after completion of the program.