Nurse Residency Program
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
