Nurse Residency Program

Overview of Nurse Residency Program

The nurse residency program provides a solid foundation for new graduate nurses transitioning from student to professional nurse and offers support in the development of effective, competent, and committed nurses.  The 12-month program includes a centralized onboarding process and orientation, department-specific content and skill development, preceptor support and transparent leadership support.  After completion of department-based orientation, nurse residents continue with regularly scheduled workshops designed to address specific transitions through the first year of practice as a novice nurse. Topics include delegation, time management, resiliency, patient engagement, diversity, cultural competency, ethical decision making, evidence-based practice, and quality initiatives.  Vanderbilt University Medical Center Nurse Residency Program is accredited with distinction as a Practice Transition Program by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation in Practice Transition Programs.
 

What we provide

Our Nurse Residency Program offers track options to allow nurse residents to work in areas that match their interests and career goals.
Track options include:

• Adult Cardiac Stepdown 
• Adult Acute Care Medicine
• Adult Acute Care Surgical
• Adult Critical Care
• Adult Oncology
• Adult Perioperative
• Behavioral Health
• Pediatric Acute Care
• Pediatric Critical Care
• Women's Health
• Adult Ambulatory
• Vanderbilt Wilson County Hospital

Newly graduated nurses hired into the Nurse Residency Program are supported in the role of the professional nurse through didactic learning sessions and hands-on clinical training under the guidance and support of our quality and specialty trained nursing staff.

We offer start dates in January, February, April, June, July, September, & October. Start date options vary based on area hired and successful NCLEX completion.

The program is designed to support:

• Centralized recruitment, including the application, interview, and hiring process. 
• Onboarding and Orientation, including central and track-specific orientation, as well as targeted population-specific education by experienced preceptors and VUMC content experts.
• Professional Development in the First Year, including opportunities designed to meet the needs of the transitioning nurse.
• Beyond the First Year, including mentorship, career guidance, and support for ongoing professional development and growth. 
   

Candidate Eligibility

• Registered Nurses with less than 6 months of professional nursing experience at the time of application
• Candidates must possess an Associate's Degree in Nursing (ASN or ADN), Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing, or higher from an Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) or Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) accredited and state-approved program.
  • Nurse Residents hired into the program without a BSN will be encouraged to attain a BSN within 3 years. 
• All graduation requirements must be met (including the HESI or other exit exams) prior to the start date of the nurse residency program.
• Required to be licensed prior to their start date. Residents that can provide official documentation of successful NCLEX results and pending application for TN RN licensure (or a state that is part of the enhanced nurse licensure compact) will be considered eligible to start

Questions?  Contact us.

VUMC Nurse Residency Program:
Eligibility or application [email protected]  
General questions [email protected]