APRN Transition-to-Practice Program Under Development

It is an exciting time to choose a career as an APRN in the current health care environment!  As health care systems look for ways to provide affordable, quality care, the role of the APRN has become pivotal in accomplishing this goal. Meeting the need for additional providers creates a greater demand for APRNs than ever before.  With this increased demand comes the challenge of ensuring that selected APRNs, who come from varied nursing backgrounds and graduate programs, are competent and confident in the care they provide.  Through current evidence-based research, a provider’s participation in a transition-to-practice program is key in ensuring that we are putting APRNs in a position to be successful.  These programs not only create a solid foundation for practice but serve as a necessary recruitment and retention strategy.  We are thrilled to say, with Peggy Mark’s support, that we are working on developing a transition-to-practice program for APRNs here at Premier Health. 

A transition-to-practice program is a proctored and competency-based, progressive evolution to professional clinical practice for novice and experienced APRN providers. This program begins with a formal provider orientation to Premier Health that includes participation in a uniform method of credentialing and privileging. Provider-level access to the electronic documentation/ordering software and information on the regular professional practice quality reviews, required of all clinicians, would also be provided. Verification of general, basic clinical competencies would be accomplished with an experienced clinical mentor to validate skills.  Competency in specialty-practice procedures, as well as knowledge specific to particular service lines, would be verified in both the novice and experienced APRNs employed by Premier Health. This ensures a systemized and robust onboarding process for these providers.

We hope to begin piloting the program early next year. The first transition-to-practice program will focus on the critical care specialty within Premier Health. Ultimately, the goal is to expand the program to other specialties such as acute care and primary care.   A program of this type would help our organization support the growing needs of APRNs in urgent cares, family practice offices, and hospital settings.

Back to the November 2019 issue of the Nursing Newsletter