New Graduate Residency Program
CHA is excited to offer new grad nurses a one-year Residency to prepare them to work within their chosen practice area. This experience provides training, support and mentoring to let new grads begin their career journeys with essential skills and confidence.
Newly hired nurses are added to the residency in cohort groups, twice a year, or when an open position is available.
Resident Videos, Describing Their Experiences
About the Program
The Graduate Residency Program is a 12-month experience of both classroom and clinical time to support a coordinated and systematic transition to independent practice. The program is designed to support nurses with professional role transition, integration and socialization.
Program Goals:
- Transition from entry-level beginner nurse to competent professional nurse, who 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.
- Practice collaboratively as members of the interprofessional healthcare team.
- Formulate an individual career plan that promotes a lifelong commitment to professional nursing. (CCNE, 2015).
Topics are applicable across all nursing specialties and may include:
- Management & Delivery of Quality Patient Care
- Quality & Safety - culture of safety, prevention of hospital-acquired conditions (pressure injuries, falls, infections), preventing errors, reporting errors and near misses, safe med administration, infection control, Policy & Procedures
- Patient and Family Centered Care – developing a plan of care, using evidence to support practice, pain management, end-of-life care, diversity, patient satisfaction, patient education
- Management of Patient Care Delivery – assessing patient condition, adjusting plan of care, manage patient care assignments, inter-professional team, time management, patient outcomes
- Management of the Changing Patient Condition – assessment and reassessment, communication to provider/team members, use of resources, RRT, Codes
- Communication & Conflict Resolution – skills with patient, family and team, hand-off communication, AIDET, preventing escalation, incivility/lateral violence, safety
- Informatics & Technology – use of Epic and other programs in communication, care delivery, medical library, searching for literature, professional boundaries/social media, compliance, HIPAA.
- Professional Development - leadership, professional organizations, accountability, career development, mentorship, certification, graduate school, continuing education, engagement in hospital functions, providing peer-to-peer feedback
- Performance Improvement & Evidence-based Practice – performance improvement/quality improvement methods, use of data, use of evidence in changing practice.
- Ethical Decision-making – ANA Code of Ethics, handling complex ethical situations, using resources, professional boundaries
- Delegation
- Stress Management – prevention of compassion fatigue, situational stress, resources, and promoting resiliency
- Business of Healthcare – practicing at top of scope, impact of hospital-acquired conditions on finances, providing value, promoting quality with efficiency and reduced waste
Preceptorship
Each resident has a one-on-one preceptor for a set length of time. These preceptors value new grad nurses and are here to help you succeed. They support profesional growth and eventual transition to independent practice once required competencies/skills are completed and validated.
Simulation Lab
One key component of the residency is experience in the CHA simulation center. This lets nurses practice patient care in a series of simulations based on actual critical events seen in many different clinical areas. These scenarios help develop critical thinking skills, build teamwork and improve communication among caregivers.
Nurses find that this environment is helpful in fostering learning. It lets nurses learn new skills and refine their practice to give them confidence in real-world situations, improving the delivery of patient care.