CMC Announces New Nursing Residency Program with Vizient/AACN™
Conway Medical Center (CMC) today announced the implementation of a Nurse Residency program based on the Vizient and American Association of Colleges of Nursing (Vizient/AACN) Nurse Residency Program™. The program is designed to ease the transition of newly graduated nurses from the classroom setting to the clinical practice environment to promote quality, safety and reduce turnover rates for first-year nurses.
The program will be open to all graduating nurses hired by CMC with licensing from an accredited school. The Nurse Residency Program is an added layer of support, in addition to the newly licensed nurse’s orientation and preceptorship experience. One of the most substantial benefits of the program is the support the nurse residents receive every month from their facilitator and peers during dedicated time for clinical reflection. This distinguishes Vizient/AACN NRP™ from similar transition-to-practice programs. The program takes one year to complete. CMC is the first hospital in the area to offer this program with the first cohort of more than a dozen RNs beginning in October.
“Nurturing and supporting our new-to-practice RNs is extremely important,” said CMC Chief Nursing Officer Andrea Erickson. “The Vizient NRP program creates a safe environment where nurses can learn, ask questions, and grow. The first year can be overwhelming, and we recognize that. We want to mentor and provide these building blocks to promote high-quality patient care along with retention.”
The Vizient/AACN Nurse Residency Program™ has provided healthcare organizations with a transition-to-practice program for new graduate nurses since 2002 and is recognized by the Institute of Medicine as a model program.
“Transitioning into the nursing profession is a challenge for new graduate nurses. They are asked to jump into difficult roles and expand their development quickly, leading to high turnover. We know that it takes a full year to grow their confidence, competence, and engagement in the profession and the organization,” said Evy Olson, Associate Vice President of Nursing Programs at Vizient. “We are pleased that Conway Medical Center has made the commitment to support their nurses in their transition into practice and their professional development through a nurse residency program.”
For more information on CMC’s Nurse Residency Program and nursing opportunities at CMC, visit https://www.conwaymedicalcenter.com/cmc-vizient-nurse-residency-program/.
