18 weeks of "residency" to give 18months experience?

Nurses General Nursing

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Am I right in thinking this is complete BS? The hospital closest to me is claiming that their new nurse residency program will give a brand new grad the same competency as a nurse who's been a nurse for 18 months in 18 weeks. Am I the only one thinking it's BS? It's 25% classroom instruction and 75% "clinical preceptorship".

I have no problem with the program itself, but I think what they're claiming is crap.

Opinions? I'm not a nurse myself or even in nursing school (hopefully in 2011), but it seems way too good to be true.

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Not buying it personally.

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Specializes in M/S, MICU, CVICU, SICU, ER, Trauma, NICU.

It would highly depend on the individual--no way would this apply to everyone.

I would just conclude it as a remote possibility, not an improbability...highly, unlikely.

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So I assume they would also increase pay to equal what a 18 mth nurse makes??

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Specializes in LTC, Psych, Hospice.

Sounds fishy to me.:confused:

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Specializes in ICU.
Am I right in thinking this is complete BS? The hospital closest to me is claiming that their new nurse residency program will give a brand new grad the same competency as a nurse who's been a nurse for 18 months in 18 weeks. Am I the only one thinking it's BS? It's 25% classroom instruction and 75% "clinical preceptorship".

I have no problem with the program itself, but I think what they're claiming is crap.

Opinions? I'm not a nurse myself or even in nursing school (hopefully in 2011), but it seems way too good to be true.

In 18 weeks, a new grad (even with 1:1 precepting) will have the same competency as a nurse with 18 weeks of experience.

To promise otherwise is not a good thing.

A precepted new grad residency program is great, and helps a new grad develop the minimum skills needed to safely care for low intensity patients with minimal to moderate assistance/guidance. I can see how the 18 week program may help new grads develop certain CLINICAL skills to a high level, but it won't be enough to develop the time management or patient assessment (& all important "gut feel") skills which have already been internalized by a more experienced nurse.

Your BS detector is working just fine.

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Specializes in being a Credible Source.
Am I right in thinking this is complete BS? The hospital closest to me is claiming that their new nurse residency program will give a brand new grad the same competency as a nurse who's been a nurse for 18 months in 18 weeks. Am I the only one thinking it's BS? It's 25% classroom instruction and 75% "clinical preceptorship".

I have no problem with the program itself, but I think what they're claiming is crap.

Opinions? I'm not a nurse myself or even in nursing school (hopefully in 2011), but it seems way too good to be true.

I think it's BS... experience can only be gained hour by hour in the trenches. An 18-week program is 18 weeks of experience... less, I suppose, since 1/4 of the time is in a classroom and not out dealing with the hour-to-hour demands of nursing.
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I dunno... I've done this two decades and I still learn something new every day.

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I'm kind of ****** - they used to have a beautiful 6-month residency where it was mostly precepted time, everything. It was set up wonderfully. Kind of aggravating for them to make such claims - it was where I hoped to work after nursing school. I've volunteered there a couple months and to be honest haven't seen any new grads where I "work" at all - then again, I work L&D and PP along with a brush of NICU.

Glad to know I'm not the only one that thinks it's BS. It's just frustrating...plus it's not even named after the hospital. Weird - it's like an outside company is using it.

Sorry for rambling. :uhoh3:

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of course not, there's no substitute for time.

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Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.

BS. I've worked in NICU's with 3-4 month orientation programs for many, many years -- programs that are not significantly different that what is now being packaged as a "residency" program. Those new nurses were still "new" at the end of 18 weeks.

There is no substitute for actual experience.

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Specializes in Aged Care.

smells fishy. 18 weeks is 18 weeks not 18 months. although not totally impossible, afterall what can you learn in 18 months that you can't possibly learn in 18 weeks? go ask the hospital recruitment staff if they believe in the claim themselves and if they would consider the 18weeks experience as 18 months experience when you apply for a position after the program. if they don't then forget about it.

education is an admirable thing, but it is well to remember from time to time that nothing that is worth knowing can be taught. oscar wilde

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