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Nurse Residency Program

Billings Clinic Nursing Residency

Billings Clinic's Nurse Residency program helps new registered nurses bridge the gap in the transition from student to a competent professional nurse over their first two years of practice. Our Nurse Residency program offers a supportive environment which allows new nurses to gain the competence and confidence needed to be an integral part of the health care team at Billings Clinic.

Nurse Residents are full-time employees who are eased into the role of professional nurse under the guidance and support of:

unit preceptors
nursing educators
unit management teams

Learning Environment

The program consists of active learning activities that take place in a guided and supportive practice environment using experiential learning modalities. For example, simulated patient care scenarios and case studies help develop:

clinical judgment
performance
clinical leadership skills

Nurse residents form a connection to the residency team; participate in guided reflections, and monthly journaling opportunities on their journey to become a reflective practitioner.

At the end of Year One, each resident reports out on their evidence-based project on a subject that interests them. Year Two finds the residents returning quarterly to continue learning in the supportive residency atmosphere.

Eligibility

Who is Eligible?

All new grad nurses are accepted into the program (ADN, BSN, Accelerated BSN, or MSN)
New graduates with less than 12 months working RN experience

Program Expectations and Requirements

Montana RN license to start employment
Willingness to commit to Year One monthly didactic sessions
Willingness to commit to Year Two quarterly didactic sessions
Actively participate in all sessions including completing an evaluation of sessions
Actively participate in orientation progress meetings with the preceptor, nurse residence faculty, and clinical leadership team
Participate and report out on an evidence-based project at the end of Year 1

Nurse Residency Topics

Technical (Clinical Skills)

IVs
Tubes
Lines
Drains
Head to Toe Assessment
Fall Assessments
Skin/Wound/Ostomy Assessment & Care
Pulmonary and Cardiac Assessments
Blood Transfusions
Medication Safety
Responding to Changes in Patient Condition
Oversedation
Pain Management

Non-Technical (Soft) Skills

Role Transition
Time Management
Delegation/Prioritization
Self-Care
Difficult Communication
Teamwork & Collaboration
Informatics
Quality Improvement
Stress Management
Critical Thinking/Reasoning
Patient & Employee Safety
Leadership Skills
Evidence Based Practice
Ethics
End of Life Patient Care
Relational Coordination
Patient-Centered Care
Utilizing Inter-professional Teams
Resources & Services
Professionalism
Lateral Violence Prevention
Diversion Prevention
Shared Governance
Finding Your Voice in Your Unit

Billings Clinic Nurse Residency Program was awarded Accreditation with Distinction, the highest recognition awarded by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Accreditation Program. The web directory of accredited programs will reflect this special designation.

Billings Clinic is the second healthcare system in the state of Montana to be awarded this distinction, joining Kalispell Regional Healthcare. This designation will help to recruit and retain high caliber nurses and validates that the program meets and exceeds evidence-based quality standards.