The turnover rate among first-year nurses is at an all-time high of about 32 percent, according to the "2023 NSI National Healthcare Retention" report. That's one of the drivers behind a one-year nurse residency program created by Dignity Health Global Education and backed by Chicago-based CommonSpirit Health, which is rolling out the program systemwide.
The organizations launched the program April 27 in 21 states with the goal of easing new nurses' transition into full-time practice and lowering health systems' spend on hiring and retention costs.
Four more notes on the 12-month program:
- The residency aims to boost RN retention by at least 20 percent. It trains both preceptors and nurse residents.
- Hospitals and health systems can customize the program across different sites and specialties, leaders told the American Hospital Association in a recent blog post. It enables decision-makers to predict retention rates and track effectiveness through data insights.
- The program includes two phases: Clinical integration and the independence stage. The first phase involves up to 24 weeks in which residents complete cohort-based, unit-specific courses. In the second phase, participants spend up to four hours a week participating in a mentorship program, finishing additional course work and working on an evidence-based project.
- Kathy Sanford, DBA, RN, chief nursing officer at CommonSpirit Health, previously told Becker's the didactic portion of the program includes classes on topics such as nurse bullying, where to take an idea about workflow improvements and personal well-being.
"Most residency programs are just teaching you how to take care of multiple patients and work on the unit and get the jobs done. This one is, I think, a bit more holistic," Dr. Sanford said.