Nurse residency

Hi Nurse Beth

I graduate with my BSN in may 2018, I haven't started applying for jobs because I am not interested in a residency program but all the good hospitals require new nurses to join the residency program. I don't see the point of the program, I just see it as a way of keeping nurses in a place for some years with no sign on bonuses(which could help in paying off loans). and I also don't see the point of extra class time. I feel I wouldn't like the experience and going through nursing school and orientation will be enough for me to transition into nursing. My question is do you think new nurses benefit from the residency program and why? Would you advise I go for a residency program? I am interested in med-surg

Residencies are ideal for ICU specialties. There are many things that were barely taught in nursing school that are used every day in an ICU (intubation and ventilators, for example). Even in a Med/Surg position, there are things that could be covered in a classroom setting that you will deal with routinely in your job. Do you think that you know everything there is to know to be a nurse and don't need extra training?

There is so much to learn on the job and a residency would be very valuable. I wish they had them when I graduated nursing school. Do and learn as much as you can while you are being supervised and mentored. You aren't prepared to work with just a short orientation. I worked 2 years in med-surg (with occasional floats to telemetry) and then transferred to a telemetry unit. I wasn't given much orientation since I had experience and passed the written exams. I was not prepared at all to work on my own. It was scary how much I didn't know. The unit I was working on wasn't conducive to learning and I didn't stay. It took a long time before I felt confident with my skills and people's lives are depending on you. You need to be prepared as much as possible.

It helps. Do it.

As a new grad- you are a liability to the organization, not an asset. Signing bonuses are for hard-to-fill positions and designed to attract experienced nurses to them.

You are VERY full of yourself if you think you are ready for practice with just an orientation. Check back in in 6 month and let us know how that worked out for you.

I feel I wouldn't like the experience and going through nursing school and orientation will be enough for me to transition into nursing[/Quote]

For the vast majority of new grads, this is untrue. Extra education won't hurt you and could help, but forgoing the education will NOT help... not to mention your competence level will be less than the new grads who DID utilize this opportunity.

Plus, classroom time is easy money. You get paid RN wages and will be off your feet and away from call lights -- and you will have guaranteed break time.

Why NOT do it?

Of course if the facility is offering a big sign on bonus and require a contract that takes an act of Congress to be released from... those are huge red flags. Like all the flags in China, huge red flags. There is no nursing shortage, and any hospital this desperate clearly can't retain staff on its own merit.

My new grad program back in 2003 didn't require a contract for employment... possibly because I'm in an at-will state, which means an employee can resign whenever they want to, and for whatever reason.

The sign on bonus' terms stated that it was taxed at 40something% -- but if we resigned or reduced our FTE before 2 yrs was up, we had to pay the bonus back at 100%.

I declined my sign on bonus for that reason. My husband was in his MBA program at the time, and I didn't know if we were staying in the area upon his graduation.