Intermountain’s Nurse Residency Program — Supporting nurse graduates in their transition from classroom to caregiver

Intermountain Healthcare’s Nurse Residency Program supports new graduate nurses as they transition from classroom to caregiver. Our one-year program provides new graduates a supportive framework, blended with opportunities for continued learning experiences to build cognitive and critical thinking skills.

General Program Overview

The Nurse Residency program is a one-year program designed to facilitate the transition of the newly graduated nurse or registered nurse with less than one-year acute care experience into the work setting. Program highlights include (time commitment will vary according to unit specialty):

  • Classroom training
  • Hands-on learning
  • Simulation Lab
  • Interaction with preceptors and clinical nurse specialists
  • Continued education throughout the year
  • Nurse Residency positions are available from all 22 Intermountain Healthcare hospitals
  • 36 hours classroom didactic
  • 144 additional hours of clinical work with a clinical coach
  • Some specialty areas will have a more detailed orientation with increased time and commitment
  • Continued training and mentoring throughout the first year of employment
  • Advanced certification available dependent upon your work area job requirements

Hiring criteria

  • Education: must have graduated from an accredited nursing or have less than one year of acute care nursing experience
  • Licensing: Must have RN license or be license-eligible in the state in which they are being hired (Utah, ID, and/or Nurse Licensure Compact)
  • Hours: Determine based on position hired into
  • Classes: Must attend all classes and finish all course work to complete the program
  • Commitment: Commitment determined based on area and FTE hired into with Intermountain Healthcare.
  • Out-of-state new graduates must have NCLEX scheduled by the time the residency program begins

The program offers professional and peer support from experienced nursing leaders and staff with opportunities for self-learning and simulation-based activities in the participant’s area of interest to build professional competence, confidence in practice, and clinical judgment. We provide a variety of learning experiences in a safe, hands-on, and supportive environment. All nurses hired at Intermountain with less than one year of experience as a registered nurse are eligible to participate in the Nurse Residency Program.

Collaboration

You will practice in a collaborative environment, interacting on a daily basis with other new nurses, clinical coaches, clinical nurse specialists, multidisciplinary team members, and course instructors.

Accountability

The residency program encourages you to actively seek learning experiences as you work with unit educators, clinical nurse specialists, and clinical coaches to increase your knowledge of nursing practices while enhancing your communication, critical thinking, and prioritization skills in a self-directed environment.

Research-based practice

You’ll learn to incorporate research-based best practices supported by standards and professional performance into daily patient care activities. You’ll experience an environment that supports change, fosters innovation, and is conducive to increasing confidence and competence in the delivery of safe patient care - our number one priority.

Innovation

You will practice in an environment where nurses are frontline change agents and leaders in practice and process improvement. You will benefit from Intermountain’ s partnership with institutions of higher learning as they continually evaluate nursing practice, fostering confident, competent, and caring providers.

Nursing Leadership

As a nurse, you play an instrumental role in setting policy and making patient care decisions in collaboration with other nursing leaders within the facility. The role of the nurse as a leader is supported through formal and informal leadership development and opportunities.

Growth

Intermountain Healthcare has a career progression model with opportunities for growth in nursing education, administration, and advanced patient care. This progression model allows you to plan your career development based on your individual goals.

For more information on our Nurse Residency Programs and how to apply to the program, please contact the Nurse Recruiters.

For more information and to apply for the Nurse Residency Program located in Western Colorado, please contact the RN Residency Coordinator at Brandi.Penner@imail.org.