resident programs?

a few friends of mine got accepted to a nurse intern program at a hopsital in atlanta. I wish that the hosiptials here did that, as I would have loved an oppertunity to better see the different areas of the hospital so I could better choose where I wanted to work.

I live in Albuquerque, NM and am currently in a resident program and it was really easy to get into. They have requirements that you must fulfill and an interview process that was really relaxed and comfortable. At the hospital I am working at, I don't think that they really turn anyone away and their goal is to help get you to where you want to go in nursing. The ladies who run the program are amazing at providing new grads with the support that they need and are willing to do what they can to help you succeed. I totally recommend a resident program to anyone if you can find a hospital that offers it! Good luck to you in your last year of nursing school!

At the hospital I got hired on at, they have a new nurse residency program. It lasts 9 months I think. They have only gone through one cycle of it so far, and I heard they have gotten a lot of positive feedback from the new nurses who went through it. It's a med-surg residency because the hospital had figured out that new nurses who work in med-surg settings get freaked out by being "thrown out there" on their own after a short orientation. They often end up switching to less stressful areas. So, they designed this program that is 4 hours of classroom at the beginning of the shift, followed by an 8-hour shift on the floor with a preceptor. I was considering doing it if I didn't get into my preferred areas (OB or NICU).

The hospital I'll be starting at next month has a residency program that I'll be participating in. I'll have 2 weeks of straight classes, then 8-10 weeks of on the floor training one-on-one with my preceptor. The residency program lasts 6 months, so even after I'm working on my own as a nurse, I will still have classes to periodically attend. I also have to do some sort of nursing implementation/research project for my unit. I'm thrilled to be able to participate and I think it's going to have a wealth of information.