Sixteen registered nurse graduates joined the Nurse Residency Program at Sarah Bush Lincoln Monday.
The Nurse Residency Program helps new nurses transition from nursing graduates to competent, confident and compassionate nurses. Sarah Bush Lincoln Patient Education Director Cynthia Edwards explained that for new nurses there is so much to learn in the first year that sometimes it can be overwhelming. This program helps them adjust through additional classroom education, hands-on simulation, online learning modules and guest presenters. They also will be working with a preceptor.
“A big plus is that the nurses will develop lasting relationships with other nurses in the program, which will help them acclimate to a new environment and begin their careers with a strong start,” she said.
The nurses will gain meaningful experience by working on the unit for which they were hired from the outset. Edwards added that the program participants will receive educational tools and emotional support to help them hone their skills so they can provide excellent patient care.
The Nurse Residency Program is offered twice a year, in June and in January, and all new RNs will participate in the yearlong program.
During the first month, nurses will receive orientation, basic life support, crisis management training, cardiac dysrhythmia and several other classes. Thereafter, they will meet for four hours monthly to learn new skills. Additionally, nurse residents will complete and present a process improvement project at close of the residency year.
Edwards explained that the program will focus on eight core topics, including patient safety, clinical skills, stress and time management, patient experience, leadership, critical thinking, communication and professionalism.
“Through the Nurse Residency Program, our goal is to provide our patients with the most prepared nurses possible. For those who entered nursing without a residency program, it may have taken them a great amount of time to develop the key skill set to be an outstanding nurse. We want our nurses to be outstanding from the very beginning so we are providing them with the tools and support to be successful,” she said.
For more information about the nurse residency program, call Human Resources at 217 258-2501.
Cutline: New nurse graduates entering Sarah Bush Lincoln’s Nurse Residency Program are pictured left to right: Front row: Left to Right: Nikki Thomson, Jessica Loftis, Hope Moore, Tristen Reeves, Keri Stolz, Rikki Staples, Mara Dearnbarger, Cassandra Kemper; Back Row: Left to Right: Jamie Willis, Gareth Miller; Tyler Burch, Brett Miller, Jordan Stricklin, Lynn Webb, and Hillary Lelopu.