Innovative Residency Program for New Graduate Nurses at Fidelity Health Care
By LeeAnn Click
Fidelity Health Care is pleased to announce the implementation of the Versant New Graduate RN Residency Program. Fidelity is the first home care agency in the nation to have an RN residency program for new graduates. This program will provide RNs who have recently graduated with the opportunity to transition into the home care environment using Versant’s individualized and evidence-based program tailored to meet each nurse’s needs. This is a 24-week residency program that allows for further improvement of skills, knowledge, and development of professional relationships.
During the first half of the residency, the graduate RN will work in the acute-care setting at Miami Valley Hospital or Good Samaritan Hospital (closed in 2018). This acute-care experience will enable the nurse to become competent in general nursing skills prior to moving to the more independent home environment. Their experience at the hospitals will be in specific clinical areas that parallel the home-care population, with a focus on disease processes and skills. The resident will have approximately 12 weeks in the acute-care setting before transitioning to Fidelity and into the home care environment for 12 weeks.
In both the acute and home-care settings, the resident will complete a competency gap analysis. This analysis will determine areas where more education may be needed and will provide an individualized learning profile specific to that nurse. The resident’s learning profile includes performance support tools and scheduled classes to address identified areas. Once the education is complete, the nurse is ready for competency validation. Each Versant competency includes national statements for objectives, including safety, procedural, teamwork and collaboration, patient-centered care, evidence-based practice, quality improvement, leadership and informatics. Competencies are validated through direct observation at the point of care by trained preceptors. The resident is in a “married state” with their preceptor during all clinical hours.
The resident will also have supportive component coaches in both the acute and home-care settings. Each resident will receive support through mentoring and debriefing sessions with their coaches during the transition from student to professional nurse. The mentor will help oversee the resident’s career path and assist with professional development by acting as an advisor, supporter, resource and champion. Debriefing sessions create a safe environment for sharing feelings and solving problems, helping the resident develop self-care skills. The supportive component sessions will continue through the first year of employment.
Fidelity is accepting applications for the Versant New Graduate RN Residency Program. The application can be accessed through Premier Health. Our health care environment is rapidly changing; health care is moving toward not only making our communities healthier but also assisting patients in managing their health care in their home environment. If you would like to be a part of this exciting and challenging health care work environment, consider home health care nursing. It could be for you!
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Source: Premier Health Nursing
