09/21/2022
Nursing is a prestigious but complex field, and navigating your way to becoming a professional nurse can be challenging. However, with the proper education and training, you can avoid many of its potential pitfalls and find success. Nursing school provides this guide, helping instill students with the profession’s fundamentals, but sometimes this training doesn’t cut it.
Many new nurses find their first job daunting, often needing a little more help or extra guidance before setting off on their own. Thankfully, there are several ways to get the assistance and mentoring you need in such scenarios.
One excellent option to look at is getting into a nurse residency program.
Health care facilities offer nurse residency programs to graduating nurses. How does it work? These new healthcare workers undergo a series of training programs that help them transition into professional roles. It helps provide the support they need to balance their inexperience.
As noted in the Delaware Journal of Public health, many nurses leave the profession shortly after starting. Nurse residency programs are one solution health care facilities are working to implement to curtail this widespread loss. Typically, the program’s goal is to retain these new frontline workers while helping to improve their confidence and competency.
A nurse residency program often combines hands-on learning at the bedside with additional training. For example, a nurse in a residency program may work with a preceptor who will oversee their patient care and performance. Sometimes, the program may involve formal and informal learning opportunities.
Even if a hospital doesn’t have a nurse residency program, they may have other formal and informal training for new nurses. If you aren’t sure if a hospital has a “legitimate” nurse residency program, you can check with accreditation bodies as they provide a list of accredited schools on their website.
The American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) and the Commission on the Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) are both groups that accredit nurse residency programs. Still, even a non-accredited program can offer many benefits to you as a new nurse.
As a new nurse, you’ll work to develop essential nursing skills as part of a nurse residency program. You’ll begin with the basics, then work toward a more complex skill set. As noted in the Delaware Journal of Public Health, a residency program may work to help you develop the following:
Typically, nurse residency programs are for nurses who have recently graduated from nursing school. These individuals usually have less than a year of practice experience.
Before enrolling in a nurse residency program, consider examining its qualification requirements thoroughly to ensure that you meet them.
Depending on its popularity, you may have to meet specific criteria to earn a place on its consideration list. A hospital with hundreds of applicants aiming for a spot in its clinical residency may only accept some applicants, just like any other job recruitment program.
While this area requires more research, nurse residency programs currently bring a lot to the table, benefiting graduates and the nursing profession. Consider the following benefits of nurse residency programs:
Ultimately, building more competent nurse graduates makes things better for everyone. Patients experience the best care possible, and the healthcare team benefits from new members having the help they need to learn and grow.
Some nurses may feel that a nurse residency program doesn’t push them enough or give them enough independence. Remember, these programs offer extra training and help to graduates.
Sometimes, graduating nurses may already have a certain level of experience before getting their nursing degree.
For example, maybe you worked as a certified nursing assistant (CNA) before becoming a nurse, or perhaps you already had your certification as a licensed practical nurse (LPN). In these cases, you may have already learned how to cope with specific stressors and acquired certain skills that newer nurses are still developing.
As noted by Relias, there are a few other disadvantages to nursing residency programs, including the following:
A nursing residency program can give you the tools to advance your nursing career successfully. It offers you extra training, helping you gain the confidence needed to become a successful and competent member of the healthcare community.
When you join a residency program, you learn essential skills from seasoned nurses in the field. You get to benefit from their experiences and knowledge. If you want to take your first step as a nursing graduate, consider joining a nursing residency program.
Sources used (linked to in the article. Please maintain links or include a list at the end for citation):
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