A supportive nursing model innovative nurse residency program eases new graduate transition

Colorado Nurse, June, 2008 by Fran Ricker

Both the nurse manager and the new graduate residents interviewed felt that the support from nursing leadership was critical for the program. Colleen Goode, RN, PhD, FAAN, CNAA--Vice President of Patient Services and Mary Krugman, PhD, RN, FAAN, have been instrumental in supporting and developing this program both locally and nationally.

There is formal program evaluation which includes data collected at hire, at six months and at 12 months. The research instruments include the McCloskey-Mueller RN Job Satisfaction, the Gerber Control Over Nursing Practice, and the ATI Critical Thinking Tools. Residents also evaluate the program using an online tool at completion. Data is also compared to other multistate sites.

Retention Rates for the national program support it as an effective model with a retention rate of 93.6% for year, 2006-2007. The Retention Rate for University of Colorado Hospital is 100% for the current group of residents.

For hospitals interested in information on the nurse residency program, JoAnn DelMonte, RN, MSN--Coordinator for the Graduate Nurse Residency Program at University of Colorado Hospital may be reached at joann.delmonte@uch. edu. The University Health System Consortium is also a source for information on standards and program development. To contact the University Health System Consortium use the following email address: Cathy.Krsek@uhc.edu.

The Nurse Residency Program is changing the culture of care at University of Colorado Hospital positively. It is easing the transition for new BSN graduates in a climate of increasingly demanding, stressful, and complex care. Early data on retention rates through the program both nationally and in Colorado are supportive of the model's effectiveness. Their leadership should be recognized for their commitment toward investing resources for the nurses of the future. This project is demonstrating ongoing value not only to the nurses that participate but to the organization as a whole.

Envision nurse graduates of the future ALL going through a formal residency program as our medical graduates have for years. Increasing technological advances and higher patient acuity demand strong mentorship support and guided clinical learning for all nurses entering the workplace. Support for the employment clinical experience is critical to retaining nurses. University of Colorado Hospital is modeling a program which could demonstrate value for other hospitals.

Fran Ricker, RN, MSN, CGRN