Nurse Residency Research

The concept of nurse residency programs is not by any means a new concept. Programs have been grounded on Benner’s theory of novice to expert. Benner established the notation that nurses develop skills and understanding of job skills over time through an education also with hands on experiences. She noted a nurse passes through five levels of proficiency: novice, advanced beginner, competent, proficient, and expert and was generally reached only after years of gaining experience as a practicing nurse. A nurse residency can facilitate new nurse graduates to transition smoothly through the levels and sometimes even more quickly. As a new graduate a nurse residency program is very appealing, not only does it help mentor you through novice period but also helps develop competent nurses for the organization.

Healthcare systems and the way safe, quality health care is delivered are continually changing to better serve patients and communities. Professional nursing practice is a large component in the healthcare system today. Back in the 1960s, professional nursing leaders tried to adopt the bachelor degree programs as the only educational track to become a registered nurse (Creasia & Friberg, 2011). Due to nursing shortages and demands this motive did not hold fast. Individuals entering the nursing profession today must first decide which educational pathway to take to become a Registered Nurse (RN).

Transitioning from nursing school to working in a hospital setting can be a challenging time for a new graduate. Due to the nursing shortage, new graduate nurses are being hired with little to no experience. This is overwhelming for new nurses, especially when they are not getting adequate support or training from the hospital. The amount of stress, pressure, and lack of training is leading to a high turnover rate for new graduate nurses. With patient acuity on the rise, new graduate nurses that are filling these vacancies in the hospitals, need to be competent nurses to provide proper and safe care to the patients.

In the traditional health care model, formal learning is not complete when a physician receives their medical degree and white coat at the end of their academic program. Medical school graduates are required to complete an accredited hospital residency program to become licensed to practice medicine, (Jolly, Erikson, & Garrison, 2013). However, acute care nurse practitioners (ACNPs) are not afforded, nor expected to complete, the same educational requirements. The current expectation that a new graduate ACNP learn their advanced nursing role “on-the-job” is unacceptable and leads to decreased job satisfaction and preparedness. In the every-changing climate of health care, the development of required residency programs for ACNPs should be maintained as a priority.

With an ever-increasing body of knowledge in the field of nursing, more education is being required to enter the field of nursing. Many healthcare institutions are raising the educational requirements in order to become employed or maintain employment in their facilities. Healthcare organizations are transitioning to hiring registered nurses (RN) who have a higher level of education, such as, a graduate from a Baccalaureate Degree Nursing (BSN) program. The goal of these institutions is to have nurses with a broader array of skills that can meet the growing demands of our patient population. BSN prepared nurses are recognized for their well-rounded skills in critical thinking, management, case management and health promotion versus Associate Degree nurses (ADN)/Diploma nurses that focus on direct patient care.

The cost to train new nurses becomes so enormous for hospitals it would be much smarter to figure out why new nurses are leaving and provide tools to assist new nurses with their transition. Looking at reasons NGRN leave their new chosen profession seems simple enough find out what it is that decreases job satisfaction and fix it. One study looked at burnout in new nurses and possible causes, they looked at workplace environment, workplace incivility and empowerment.(Spence Laschinger et al., 2009) They found

increased workplace pressure, new graduate nurses have negative impact towards their nursing career, this will affect the thought and idea of the new nurses towards changing career. b. Nurse residency program has improved nurses’ capability by being comfortable communicating with the care team, patients, and families, and in providing clinical leadership on the unit where they work. Stress scores decreased and turnover decreased. C. Residency nurses do not often make decision to quit their job.

A newly graduated registered nurse is well prepared to pass NCLEX for licensure; however, being prepared for the acute care setting in a hospital is a completely different issue. Nursing schools develop the foundation of nursing knowledge, creates critical thinking skills, and touches on nursing tasks. All of these are great tools to possess, but they do not prepare the new graduate nurse for safe, acute patient care. At Boulder Community Health (BCH) on the orthopedic neurology unit, new graduate nurses are given five weeks of orientation. Expecting a newly licensed nurse to learn all of a hospitals policies and procedures concerning patient care and how to incorporate the policies into their practice after five weeks is highly risky and leads to unsafe patient care. On the orthopedic neurology unit at BCH the new nurse trains with several nurses during the five week orientation period. This does not allow for the nurse to learn a consistent system to follow or incorporate into their personal practice as each nurse has their own system. This can become frustrating for the novice nurse. This paper will propose a change in the orientation program at BCH. A one year new graduate nurse residency (NGNR) and mentorship program will be presented to the management administration at BCH. The proposal will serve to prove that a residency program will actually save the hospital money by retaining quality nursing staff through

She indicates the some of her learners demonstrate knowledge in theory but was unable to apply it in real life situations. Nancy is also concern about staffing turnover and retention, and feels more availability should be applied for new graduate RN because she is losing them to other nursing residency’s programs in the health industry. In addition, she has 4 starting in February, and requesting to add 2

Coincidently, the standard educational background of these professionals is a Master of Science in Nursing. These programs are different from conventional master's programs in nursing because they also focus on visionary leadership, quality improvement and evidence-based practice. Thus, students will learn how to incorporate complex concepts and professional practices to create innovative nursing practices and systems. These programs also impart the skills needed to transform and enhance evidence-based care systems. The basic requirement to enter this program is an RN license and a Master’s of Science in

With the increasing demands in Healthcare needs, newly licensed competent nurses are a commodity that simply do not exist. Every year there are new nurses graduating from associate and bachelor’s degree programs that enter the work force. Nursing students whom complete their degree program, whether it be an associates or bachelor degree sit to take the same state sanctioned nursing licensure exam. Upon successful completion of this exam a student quickly transitions from student to professional, in as little as two days, and is now deemed competent to practice safely and effectively. Unfortunately for new nurses whom enter the workforce, they are subjected to an environment that nursing schools simply cannot simulate accurately, and therefore not prepare students for. New nurses are expected to come out of school, especially by the patients they tend to, with competencies that are unrealistic. The reality is that new nurses lack skills that allow them to perform at a truly competent level. What this paper will discuss are the competencies that new graduate nurses enter the work force with compared to what is actually required in order to be proficient in this professional field. This paper will also discuss how the transition from student to professional can be facilitated through extensive orientation programs that have been proven to elevate nurses from novice to professional.

Feelings of doubt and insecurity are normal to the new nurse no matter what setting they work in. It is the healthcare organizations top priority to bring a nurse from novice to competent. Feeling supported and having positive encouragement from peers is of great importance to the success and satisfaction of nurses. This can begin within the hiring process and extend towards floor nurses and providers. The success of nurse residency programs relies on the entire healthcare team, especially in a time where high acuity patients leave the hospital sooner and rely on long term care facilities for

Involvement and active participation from the following key stakeholders is necessary in order to begin a nursing residency program: director of nursing, chief financial officer, nursing management, clinical educators, nursing staff, and NGNs. Approval from the directory of nursing, as well as budgetary approval from the director of nursing and chief financial would be obtained in order to begin the implementations process. Using Benner’s novice to expert theory as an underpinning for the project, clinical educators would be asked to develop a 12-month curriculum combining traditional classroom lectures, lab simulations, and seminars. The 12-month timeframe allows for the accrual of clinical experience, essential in Benner’s theory, and

Purposive sampling was used for recruitment. Inclusion criteria consists of currently practicing licensed RNs working on the specialty units described below, who had an increased patient to nurse ratio, of with a minimum of 2 year of clinical practice. RNs with more than 2 year of experience were chosen as they could realize and provide information of being overworked, to ensure a strong nursing identity and clinical knowledge compared to new graduates who think they just haven’t found their groove yet; RNs in supervisory or education roles were excluded, as were licensed practical nurses or other health care workers who self-described as nurse. RNs who have poor work ethic, poor multitasking skill set were excluded. The settings and location

Since the start of my nursing career, I made the decision early on to get a few years of Registered Nurse (RN) experience and then continue on the further my education to become a Family Nurse Practitioner. My first job after graduating with my Bachelors of Science in Nursing (BSN), I worked in Pennsylvania as an oncology and hospice RN in a small rural hospital. After gaining one years’ experience, I decided to further my career by starting a career as a travel RN and simultaneously I enrolled at Chamberlain College of Nursing in the FNP program. After graduation, I plan on settling down in Washington and start my career as an FNP. Throughout this paper, I will effectively explore the scope of practice for APNs in Washington, complete a personal assessment that reflects my strengths and weaknesses, explore local and professional organizations that can be accessed to gain information on employment opportunities, determine