Nurse Residency Program
North Country Hospital
North Country Hospital’s Nurse Residency Program is an evidence-based, organizationally designed program aimed at supporting the new graduate nurse’s transition to practice.
Goals of our program:
- Strengthen clinical nursing skills and develop the needed nursing skill sets
- Develop critical thinking skills
- Promote patient safety
- Equip nurses with effective communication, delegation and organizational tools
The 8-month program begins with 6 days of general and nursing orientation. After orientation the Nurse Residents transition into the clinical setting to work with an experienced nurse preceptor on their assigned unit. At the beginning of the program the new nurses also attend a weekly 4 hour class with a Nurse Educator. The time between classes gradually lengthens to a monthly class until completion of the program. It is a time for continued learning as well as an opportunity to develop the confidence to work independently while being supported by a Nurse Educator, experienced Preceptors and their Nurse Director.
As part of the program, a Nurse Residency Clinical Project is required. Supported class time is dedicated to working on the project. The clinical project is chosen by the Nurse Resident in collaboration with their Nurse Director. The project must be related to the nursing profession, clinical practice or a change in clinical practice and must be evidence-based.
Requirements to enter the program:
- Graduate from an accredited school of nursing (ADN or BSN required)
- Vermont RN license prior to beginning employment
- Newly graduated nurse with less than one year of experience
- Current AHA BLS Healthcare Provider completion card
North Country Hospital offers one cohort of this program on a yearly basis beginning with the June orientation. Historically the cohort has been made up of 4-9 new graduate nurses. Applications are accepted for the program beginning in January each year.
Criteria for Successful Completion of the Program
- Attend orientation and the scheduled classes
- Participate in classroom skills and activates
- Successful 90 day evaluation from Nursing Director
- Complete Nurse Residency Clinical Project working collaboratively with their Nurse Director and staff nurses on their unit
- Present the project at Nurse Resident Graduation
NEW Graduate Emergency Department Residency: We are pleased to consider new graduates who want to work in the E.D. In addition to the new graduate residency program itself, the employee will spend 6-9 months on the Medical-Surgical floor and ICU in a progressive manner. During this time, while honing basic assessment, prioritization, and procedure skills, the new graduate nurse will also become telemetry and ACLS certified. After basic competencies are met the nurse will then progress to orientation in the E.D.
Nurse Resident Projects
2020-2021
- Skin assessment tool
- QT Interval and high-risk medication
- CHF Education binder admitted patients
2019-2020
- Preoperative hair removal
- Identification of sepsis
- Use of peanut balls in labor
- Quick nursing reference guide preparation of patient for the Operating Room
2018-2019
- Use of oral glucose for neonates with hypoglycemia – change in practice
- Standardization of pre-op phone calls using a template that matches Athena charting – change in practice
- Standardization of IV placement sites and catheter size according to the surgical procedure – nursing practice
- AORN surgical wound classification and risk of infection – change in practice
- Alcohol resources for staff to use for patient education – patient education