UHC/AACN Post-Baccalaureate Nurse Residency Program
The Post-baccalaureate Nurse Residency Program focuses on assisting nursing graduates as they transition into their first professional role and become leaders in providing care at the bedside. The program is in collaboration with University HealthSystem Consortium (UHC), American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) and Hunter College Bellevue School of Nursing, City University of New York. The goals of the program are to develop critical thinking skills in new graduates, use of outcomes data to promote patient safety, improve organizational ability and technical skills, and move toward autonomous practice.
To participate in the nurse residency program, a newly hired nurse must be a graduate from an accredited BSN program with less than six months experience, must hold an RN license or work permit, and must be willing to complete a one-year program requirement. The program is part of a national demonstration project with UHC and AACN. The Nurse Residency Program provides support and professional development for the new nurse with monthly workshops on clinical and leadership skills. Nurse residents are organized into cohort groups based on hire dates to facilitate professional socialization and help build trust during their residency program. The nurses’ clinical environment is enhanced through support from mentors who are role model, clinical resource and promote integration into the clinical unit. At the end of the post-baccalaureate residency program, the nurse has the opportunity to participate in unit/division-based projects to learn how to incorporate research-based evidence into practice.
According to published literature, cohort relationships, clinical reflections, precepting, mentoring and clinical unit socialization have made positive impact on nurses’ ability to transition into the workplace. In addition, the Post-baccalaureate Nurse Residency Program has improved retention by increasing new nurses’ commitment to the organization and to the nursing profession.
The first cohort for this program started in August, 2006. To date, 139 nurses are participating in the program. Data are being collected at the start of the program, at 6 months and at 12 months. Results of data will be available at the end of August, 2007.
For more information about the Post-Baccalaureate Nurse Residency Program, please contact:
Contact
- Reynaldo R. Rivera, MA, EdM, RN, CCRN, CNAA, BC
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Quality and Research
(212) 746-4416
rrr9001@nyp.org
