SLV Health rolls out nurse residency programand

SLV Health is proud of their newly established, cutting edge, unique nurse residency program.

One of the main reasons for developing such a rigorous onboarding program is to improve nurse retention and recruitment of new graduate nurses. Compare it to “student teaching” or a doctor’s residency to understand the underlying philosophy of why this model has been proven to be effective.

According to recent statistics, 25% of new graduate nurses leave the field within their first year of employment. SLV Health decided to implement a nurse residency program to offer support, hands-on training, and improve the nurse’s skills. SLV Health has made the nurse residency program mandatory for any new graduate working in acute care or any registered nurse re-entering the workforce.

It is a one year program with weekly classes for the first three months and then monthly thereafter. It is a blended structure of online coursework with simulation labs and classroom learning. The blended learning approach lends itself to increased knowledge while strengthening skills in a healthcare setting with peer support.

The benefits of this residency program are many, including improved confidence and competence at an accelerated rate, reduced RN turnover, increased quality indicators, and increased patient and provider satisfaction. Each nurse in the program is assigned a coach, and the curriculum is reflective in nature to encourage improvement.

SLV Health’s nurse residency program will soon be accredited by the American Nurses Credentialing Center. A recently hired newly graduated nurse at SLV Health commented, “I just love this program. I enjoy learning from my preceptor, she has so much patience and knowledge.”