Helping Nurses successfully transition from school to career Dear New Graduate Nurse, Welcome to the Pediatric Nurse Residency at Children s Hospital & Medical Center. The program is designed to cultivate the new graduate RN through the transition from student to professional RN and provide the new RN with specific knowledge, tools and experiences needed to begin a successful career in pediatric nursing. Once hired into the program as a full time employee, your first weeks will be spent in a combination of classroom and clinical rotations that will allow you to experience a wide variety of Pediatric Nursing practice settings. Beginning in 2013, we will hire two groups of new nurse residents each year: one group in March and one group in September. During our 24-month program, nurse residents rotate through various pediatric specialty units in the hospital, gaining valuable knowledge and clinical experiences in pediatric nursing. The experiences during the pediatric nurse residency will culminate in eligibility for national certification as a pediatric nurse. Quick Links Eligibility Requirements Units involved in the Nurse Residency Matching to a Home Unit Application Process Interview Process Deadlines & Important Dates Frequently Asked Questions Click here to learn more about Children s Hospital & Medical Center.
Eligibility Requirements Who is eligible for the Nurse Residency? Our Nurse Residency is available to new graduate nurses, including Children s employees, who have completed nursing school. Graduate nurses must have completed their bachelor s degree in nursing by December 31, 2012 within the past 6 months. Any graduate nurse applying for the Nurse Residency must have an overall college GPA of 3.0 at minimum to apply. Special consideration may be given to current Children s employees enrolled in an associate degree program prior to August 2012. These employees must commit to all Nurse Residency requirements & expectations. Completion of a BSN program is expected by December 2015. If I have experience as a nurse, will I need to participate in the Nurse Residency? If, upon application, the new graduate nurse possesses less than six months experience as an RN, the nurse must apply to the Nurse Residency. What if I haven t taken my boards or found out if I passed the test? Can I still be hired into the Nurse Residency? Graduate nurses must have successfully completed the NCLEX exam and possess an active nursing license in Nebraska or compact state prior to starting employment at Children s in the Nurse Residency.
Units involved in the Nurse Residency Rotational clinical experiences in the pediatric units are designed to give the new graduate exposure to the patient demographic, unit environment and healthcare professional team in each area. Each resident will experience all clinical settings before selecting the best fit for the graduate nurse. The nurse resident will rotate through each designated area over a six-week period. Specialty preferences are decided after a nurse resident completes Phase 1 of the program. These pediatric specialty clinical rotations include: 4 Med/Surg (24-bed unit caring for primarily infants and toddlers) 5 Med/Surg (24-bed unit caring for intermediate level and primarily cardiac patients) 6 Med/Surg (24-bed unit caring for primarily diabetics and hematology/oncology patients) Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU) (40-bed unit caring for pre-term and sick newborns) Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) (17-bed unit caring for intense, acutely ill patients of all ages) Emergency Department (ED) (15 total beds for patients with emergent needs: two trauma; nine standard ER; and four fast track)
Matching to a Home Unit There will be a process to match the nurse resident to an available position in one of these pediatric clinical areas that are determined to be a good fit in terms of interests and talent. 4 Med/Surg 5 Med/Surg 6 Med/Surg NICU PICU Emergency During the next phase, the nurse resident will experience a focused orientation to the designated clinical area and will continue with unit-based preceptors. Support is a key element in strengthening self-assurance. Throughout the entire first year of practice, there will be periodic classroom sessions that will focus on issues pertinent to the development of pediatric knowledge, practice, skills and professional transition.
Application Process For approximately eight weeks, twice a year, we accept applications for the Nurse Residency at childrensomaha.org/nurseresidency. In general we accept applications for the Spring nurse residents starting in October and for the Fall nurse residents starting in March. Click here for application Can I apply for the Nurse Residency before I pass my NCLEX exam? Yes. The new graduate BSN nurse may apply for the Nurse Residency prior to the completion of the NCLEX exam. Prior to starting employment at Children s, the nurse must possess a valid nursing license. Stage 2 of Application for Nurse Residency: Based on established criteria, selected candidates will be asked to complete Stage 2 of the nurse resident application process, which includes the following: Two letters of recommendation; one of which must be a clinical faculty member using a specified format Official school transcripts from BSN program Résumé Statement of intent to practice pediatric nursing (no more than 500 words) Must commit to work full-time during the first year of the Nurse Residency Must commit to one additional year of service after completing Nurse Residency, working at least 24 hours per week
Interview Process After applications have been screened and approved, potential candidates will be invited to interview for the nurse resident position. Interviews will last up to 60 minutes. Candidates will interview with members of the Nurse Residency Steering Team. All candidates will be asked to give a five-minute presentation on a recent school project and related outcome.
Deadlines & Important Dates Information packets sent to Schools of Nursing: October 2012 Application is in two stages. Stages 1 and 2 of the application process must be completed by Dec. 15, 2012. Stage 1: complete initial application via ChildrensOmaha.org/NurseResidency. Stage 2: If initial application information meets the Nurse Residency criteria, applicants will be asked to complete Stage 2 of the application process which includes: Interviews of potential candidates: Dec. 15, 2012 to Jan. 15, 2013 Candidate notification of selection as a Children s Nurse Resident: Feb. 1, 2013
Helping Nurses successfully transition from school to career Frequently Asked Questions How often do you offer the Nurse Residency? New graduate nurses will only be hired at Children s twice per year. All new graduate nurses will be hired directly into the Nurse Residency for either March or September starts. How long is the Nurse Residency? The Nurse Residency at Children s lasts for two years and we ask that you commit to staying at Children s Hospital & Medical Center for the full two years of the program. What is placement in the Nurse Residency? Each unit will determine how many positions will be available in the nurse residency program. At the end of the first phase (rotational clinical experiences) of the residency, the nurse resident s unit preference and input provided by unit preceptors and educators determines where the nurse resident will be matched. The nurse resident s preference is not guaranteed, but will be considered. Successful completion of phase 1 of the residency program guarantees employment in one of the residency nursing units. How do I apply? For approximately eight weeks, twice a year, we accept applications for the Nurse Residency at childrensomaha.org/nurseresidency. In general, we accept applications for the Spring nurse residency starting in October, and for the Fall nurse residency starting in March. Can I apply for the Nurse Residency before I pass my NCLEX exam? Yes. The new graduate BSN nurse may apply for the Nurse Residency prior to the completion of the NCLEX exam. Prior to starting employment at Children s Hospital & Medical Center, the nurse must possess a valid nursing license.
What is involved in Stage 2 of Application for Nurse Residency? Based on established criteria, selected candidates will be asked to complete Stage 2 of the nurse resident application process, which includes the following: Two letters of recommendation; one of which must be a clinical faculty member using a specified format Official school transcripts from BSN program Résumé Statement of intent to practice pediatric nursing (no more than 500 words) Must commit to work full-time during the first year of the Nurse Residency Must commit to one additional year of service after completing Nurse Residency, working at least 24 hours per week When and how will I be notified of the decision to either offer me a residency or decline my application for the Nurse Residency? You will receive a phone call with an offer for a nurse resident position at Children s Hospital & Medical Center. This phone call will include the salary for this position. Phone calls will be completed no later than Feb. 1, 2013. Should the application packet include an official transcript? Yes. Even though transcripts can be retrieved online, the Nurse Residency will only accept official transcripts. The transcripts will need to be in a sealed envelope and included with the nurse resident s application packet. Is there a format for the letter of intent? No. The letter of intent should be free form. This letter provides the nurse resident with the opportunity to demonstrate individuality and style of communication. The letter should not exceed 500 words. How long will the interview last? Interviews will last up to 60 minutes. What is the Hiring Criteria for the Nurse Residency? All new graduate nurse applicants will be required to have a BSN to be eligible to apply.
Why does Children s hire only new graduates with BSN preparation? The Magnet Commission and the Institute of Medicine/Future of Nursing has recommended target goals for increasing the percentage of BSN prepared nurses at the bedside. One of the ways that Children s can move toward meeting those goals is to begin hiring all new graduates with a minimum of a BSN preparation. Another strategy is to support existing staff to earn their BSN or MSN through the Tuition Reimbursement program benefit. BSN preparation is becoming the community standard for entry into acute care hospital nursing practice. What about current staff enrolled in AD/ASN programs? Current employees hired before August, 2012 and enrolled in AD or ASN program on or before August, 2012 will be eligible to apply. These employees must complete a bachelor s degree in nursing by Dec. 31, 2015 to be eligible. Does this affect other nurses (experienced nurses) applying for positions at Children s? Yes. Starting in August 2012, all nurses newly hired to the organization will be required to have a minimum of a BSN. Is there an effect on current Children s nurses who do not have a BSN? No, current Children s nurses without a BSN are not affected by this change in new hire/new graduate nurse employment criteria. If hired into the Nurse Residency, what shifts and/or hours will I work? For the first seven weeks, you will work with preceptors on the units and will need to be available to work either days or nights and weekends. The total number of hours will be 36 hours per week, scheduled at Children s. There will be some variation of numbers of hours per day and the number of days per week during the first weeks. However, you will not work more than 40 hours in a week and not more than 12 hours in one day. In a given week you will have a mix of two clinical days with a preceptor and two scheduled days of class time. You are required to work full-time during the first two years of the Nurse Residency. When the clinical rotation weeks are completed, you will be placed in your home unit and you will work primarily 12-hour shifts during unit orientation with the exception of designated days for classroom instruction. There are regularly scheduled education sessions that all nurse residents are expected to attend during their first year of employment.
What if I can t work the schedule of my assigned preceptor? The nurse resident will have the best possible experience in working with an assigned preceptor. Research has shown that multiple preceptor assignments have a negative impact on learner success in orientation. Both the preceptor and orientee will be discouraged from multiple schedule changes. Can I work a second job during the Nurse Residency? A second job is not recommended because the Nurse Residency requires flexibility in scheduling and always requires a fresh mind to process and retain new information. If I am hired into the Nurse Residency, will I be paid and eligible for benefits? Yes. Nurse Residents are considered full-time employees and are eligible to receive benefits and vacation, sick and paid holidays after the accrual period. Detailed information regarding benefits for Children s Hospital & Medical Center employees will be reviewed at the time of the interview. Can I take personal leave while in the Nurse Residency? You may not take personal leave during the clinical rotation (first seven weeks) or during any unit-specific orientation. Do you offer shift and weekend differentials in the Nurse Residency? Yes. Shift differentials are offered for evening, night, and weekend shifts. After being placed in a specific unit, what shift will I work? In general, newly hired nurses are placed on the night shift. Depending on the staffing needs of the unit, there may be other shift opportunities available.