UNC Hospitals New Graduate Nurse Residency Program
The UNC Hospitals Nurse Residency Program (NRP) is a yearlong program supporting transition from academia to practice for new graduate nurses. The wrap-around support from all levels of the Nursing Department is designed to assist new nurses develop the competence and confidence as a professional nurse.
The program is layered on top of orientation to provide mentored clinical relationships which support development as a professional nurse. The first component of the Residency involves participation in service line sessions highly focused on clinical skills and issues relevant to the unit and service line of the participant. These sessions run for a period of 2-9 months. Around month 2 or 3, the second component begins, and consists of 12 monthly sessions covering topics relating to professional roles, leadership, and patient outcomes. These monthly session topics are relevant to all service lines and involve interaction with session leaders and peers.
The NRP was developed by the University Health Systems Consortium (UHC) based on AACN standards for Baccalaureate Nursing Education.
Additional purposes and goals of the program are:
- Increase proficiency – from advanced beginner to competent professional
- Promote evidence based practice at the bedside to ensure good patient outcomes
- Improve retention rates of new graduate nurses – both for the hospital and the nursing profession
- Develop clinical leadership skills at the point of care
