Has anyone been a part of this? Do you know how many nurses get to take part in this? Do they mainly hire the BSN nurses from their program?
experiences?
I would LOVE to go to school there and eventually work at KUmed :redpinkhe however its very very competitive to get in so my current plan is to get my ADN and directly after get my RN-BSN online thru KU school of nursing.
Qualifications
new BSN grad
3.2 gpa
2 letters of recommendation from clinical instructors
patient care experience..ie cna,tech,ect
pass the state boards
Residency includes
-1 year program
-12-14 weeks of hospital orientation
-comprehensive orientation on the nursing unit guided by a clinical nurse specialist
-structured goal clinical experiences that start simple and progress to complex
-regular progress meetings
-formal progress evaluations
-self directed study packets
-participation in a mentoring program w/an experienced nurse
In your opinion does this seem like a sound residency program and comparative with others around the country?
Im not going to lie..when I saw this I became extremely excited...:)
This may vary by area, but typically if you are accepted into an RN residency program, it is synonymous with being hired to a registered nurse position. From my experience, you are paid during your residency at the same RN rate. The only difference is the amount of training and support you are given for the duration of the residency (depending on the program and unit, may vary anywhere between 8 - 20 weeks, and continue usually up to a year or 18 months). During your residency, you are paired with a preceptor on the floor as you care for your patients. You often also have an experienced mentor, who is different from your preceptor but is also there to help you technically, emotionally, etc. The residency often combines classroom time with clinical time, so you are able to gain a better knowledge of your specialty or area, and then apply it in the clinical setting. When your residency is completed, it simply means that you are "on your own", and are able to function independently without your preceptor--however, you are encouraged to continue to seek help whenever you need it. In short, yes, you are hired into an actual job.
On the other hand, there are some programs that are also growing in popularity (in areas like northern California, from what I've read) that feature a limited-duration unpaid residency/internship. This program is sponsored by entities other than the actual facility in which they are held. While these programs provide similar training (a preceptor and perhaps some classroom time), they are temporary positions (perhaps lasting several weeks or months) and do not guarantee a job afterward--though if there is an opening, you would probably have a huge advantage to obtaining it. These programs were designed to help the dire new grad situation and give new grads some of the experience they need to qualify when applying for jobs requiring experience, without requiring hospitals to invest a lot of money (it is VERY expensive to train a new grad). The nice thing about these programs is that it allows more new grads to gain experience (we all know how competitive the job market is, and the few paid residency programs that do exist only hire a minimal percentage of applicants), with the downside including no guaranteed job at the end of the road.
The majority of residency programs I've seen are paid. You can also check out the Versant RN Residency program (google it) which is offered in many institutions across the U.S. (yes, its paid--hehe).
Good for you on getting an early start on your nursing career! It's a very wise step. Best of luck to you & everyone looking for employment :heartbeat.
So if you land one of these residency programs, are you getting a job there afterwards? Or is it just the experience that you get?
I'm not due to get my RN for a few more years, but am trying to plan ahead:)
I'm in So. Cal. so I've noticed the Versant program at hospitals around here. I told my hubby that in about 5 years when I'm ready to get my first RN job to be prepared, we might have to move!
To the OP: good luck on getting into the program of your choice!!
Residency programs are wonderful for new nurses. I hope you land one. I received three weeks of preceptorship by the charge nurse of the day as a new nurse. Try everything you can to land a preceptorship anywhere you can because without it your first year as a nurse will be hell.
Residency programs are wonderful for new nurses. I hope you land one. I received three weeks of preceptorship by the charge nurse of the day as a new nurse. Try everything you can to land a preceptorship anywhere you can because without it your first year as a nurse will be hell.
Im definitely going to try all I can.
Im going to call tomorrow to get more specifics and what I can do to make myself more desirable for the position when the time comes. Im so glad I found this program now so that I can plan for it and can have it as another goal to keep myself pushing forward.
Something to keep in mind some residencies don't allow you to have any professional nursing experience. For example, the residency that I did does not accept any application from nurses who worked as LVNs or ADNs prior to getting their BSN. I loved my residency program and highly recommend it. It made the transition from student to nurse feel seemless, which was really nice. We rotated for 6 months, which gave us an opportunity to progress at our own pace. The only down side is generally you don't have a lot of say on where you are placed after the residency, so you need to be open to working in pretty much any area in the hospital. You can always transfer after a year, so I don't think it's that bad, but if you will only be happy on one particular unit, a residency might not be for you.
Something to keep in mind some residencies don't allow you to have any professional nursing experience. For example, the residency that I did does not accept any application from nurses who worked as LVNs or ADNs prior to getting their BSN. I loved my residency program and highly recommend it. It made the transition from student to nurse feel seemless, which was really nice. We rotated for 6 months, which gave us an opportunity to progress at our own pace. The only down side is generally you don't have a lot of say on where you are placed after the residency, so you need to be open to working in pretty much any area in the hospital. You can always transfer after a year, so I don't think it's that bad, but if you will only be happy on one particular unit, a residency might not be for you.
this is one of the main reason's im calling them for more information. I want to find out if I should work after I get my ADN or just focus on my BSN for that year. Im planning on completing my BSN thru KU via their RN to BSN online which takes one year of full study.
I will say Im interested in LD/womens health/peds more than anything..but who knows what I will really love once I get in there..so I think even if they do choose my home unit for me that the experience of the residency will more than make up for that.
:heartbeat. 
weluv3
205 Posts
So if you land one of these residency programs, are you getting a job there afterwards? Or is it just the experience that you get?
I'm not due to get my RN for a few more years, but am trying to plan ahead:)