{"id":58779,"date":"2014-03-26T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2014-03-26T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news-draft\/uncategorized\/as-first-year-of-nurse-residency-program-nears-end-many-participants-have-jobs-all-have-greater-expertise\/"},"modified":"2014-03-26T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2014-03-26T00:00:00","slug":"as-first-year-of-nurse-residency-program-nears-end-many-participants-have-jobs-all-have-greater-expertise","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/2014\/03\/as-first-year-of-nurse-residency-program-nears-end-many-participants-have-jobs-all-have-greater-expertise\/","title":{"rendered":"As first year of nurse residency program nears end, many participants have jobs, all have greater expertise"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n\t\tWorkforce initiative results in full-time jobs for 11 nurses<\/p>\n

KINGSTON, R.I. \u2013 March 27, 2014 \u2013 Sitting in a classroom at the 溏心vlog免费B站\u2019s Providence Campus, the nurses begin sharing their experiences as part of the state\u2019s first nurse residency program. They talk of profound lessons, outstanding mentors and triumphs. Some of their stories draw appreciative nods and smiles. Tears bring helpful suggestions and reassuring pats on the shoulder.<\/p>\n


\nEach Friday in Providence, the residents, all fully licensed registered nurses, learn about the value of support as they recount their clinical experiences and then learn from an expert about evidence-based practices that can lead to full-time jobs. On this day, the residents learn from 溏心vlog免费B站 Nursing Professor Marlene Dufault about the critical importance of communication among nurses as shifts change in hospitals and other clinical settings.<\/p>\n


\nAs this first round of the residency program nears its conclusion in June, it is doing exactly what it was designed to do\u2014give residents experience in what is called the continuum of care through clinical experiences, both in the acute care setting as well as the community setting, so they are ready to enter the full-time job market. <\/p>\n


\nEleven of the original 17 members of the group already have jobs, and the remaining members say their various rotations, with the help of their preceptors, have boosted their confidence, given them new skills and helped them become comfortable with new techniques and technology.<\/p>\n

The residency program was launched in October of 2013 as a workforce and skills development initiative. <\/p>\n


\nThe residency program gives licensed registered nurses additional skills and guidance from preceptors, practicing registered nurses at each clinical site. Participants also receive stipends. Graduates of Rhode Island\u2019s five nursing programs, 溏心vlog免费B站, Rhode Island College, Community College of Rhode Island, Salve Regina University and St. Joseph\u2019s Hospital are eligible for the program. The program focuses on unemployed and underemployed newly licensed nurses.<\/p>\n


\nRhode Island joined Connecticut in 2012 as one of only two New England states and 20 nationally to receive funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation\u2019s \u201cThe Future of Nursing: Campaign for Action,\u201d a $3 million joint initiative with the AARP.<\/p>\n


\n\u201cThis program is the result of countless hours of development by nurse experts from academia and practice settings throughout Rhode Island, and one very special consultant from Massachusetts,\u201d said Sandra S. Phillips, director of education at Kent Hospital and project director of the Passport to Practice Nurse Residency program. <\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone involved is extremely pleased with the success of our first cohort of residents,\u201d adds Phillips. \u201cHealth care employers in the state have benefitted from the additional experience and nursing knowledge the program offered the participants and the residents have gained confidence and experiences that will support them throughout their careers. Being the project director has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my entire career.\u201d <\/p>\n


\nThe success stories are only beginning in Rhode Island. <\/p>\n


\nLinda Hancock landed a full-time psychiatric nursing job at Rhode Island Hospital just six weeks into the nurse residency program.<\/p>\n


\n\u201cIt enabled many in the program to get back into nursing after having been out of work or out of school for a while,\u201d said the Cumberland resident, who earned her nursing degree at RIC in 2013 after having run a business for 20 years.<\/p>\n


\nHer first and only clinical rotation in the nurse residency programs was with The Miriam Hospital.<\/p>\n


\n\u201cIt was in a pre-mildly acute unit where I primarily treated elderly patients who need care. \u201cI was able to practice my skills, including providing intravenous medications, antibiotics and the full range of care.\u201d<\/p>\n


\nCarolee V.C. Larimar, of Providence, began a full-time job in February in the neuro-intensive care unit of Rhode Island Hospital. A former holistic health practitioner with numerous certifications, she earned her bachelor\u2019s degree in nursing at RIC in 2013.<\/p>\n

“This program allows you to more skillfully ease into practice, and obtain skills that you need your license to carry out,” Larimar said. “This residency shortened my career path by allowing me to gain experience as a new grad in critical care. Normally, it takes several years to obtain the position that I just started. It’s amazing that I am able to start my career in my first choice specialty at Rhode Island Hospital. Like so many other career driven nurses, striving to make a difference and obtain a rewarding position, I was anticipating having to leave Rhode Island. I was packing boxes for New York City when I received news of acceptance into the Rhode Island nurse residency. This program allowed me to stay in Rhode Island and obtain a highly rewarding position, “Larimar said.<\/p>\n


\nThe program has also been helpful to younger nursing graduates.<\/p>\n


\n\u201cThe biggest thing as a novice nurse is building your confidence so that you can deliver quality care,\u201d said Leeann Moran, a North Kingstown resident and 2011 graduate of the 溏心vlog免费B站\u2019s College of Nursing who delayed entering the field because of family commitments.<\/p>\n


\nDuring her rotation at the Thundermist Health Center in West Warwick, she provided immunizations and treated a wide range of patients. She worked with preceptor Todd Kirschhofer.<\/p>\n


\n\u201cI am a fully-licensed, fully qualified registered nurse, but with Todd as my preceptor, I could ask questions on the spot,\u201d Moran said.<\/p>\n


\n\u201cShe was great,\u201d said Kirschhofer. \u201cShe handled phone triage and follow-up work with patients. We moved her around a lot, including having her work at Thundermist\u2019s school-based program at Deering Middle School. Leeann is eager and she has the initiative.\u201d<\/p>\n


\nNurse residents who have been enrolled in the program since September have to complete four rotations at hospitals, long-term care facilities, community-based clinics, developmental disability centers, home care agencies and free clinics.<\/p>\n


\n Registered nurses Mike Stern and Anny Lopez, both of whom earned their associate\u2019s degrees in nursing at the Community College of Rhode Island, both of Providence, had rotations at Care New England\u2019s Visiting Nurse Association operation in Warwick.<\/p>\n


\nStern visited and provided hospice patients with home care, while Lopez visited patients as part of her community health\/therapeutic rotation. Both were struck by the poverty of some of their patients, but were determined to provide compassionate, quality care.<\/p>\n


\nStern\u2019s preceptor, Chris Kelly, said the partnership between Care New England\u2019s Visiting Nurse program and the residency program is effective for both.<\/p>\n


\n\u201cOne-on-one is the best way to learn,\u201d Kelly said. \u201cCritical thinking, and figuring out what to do when you are the only one at the bedside is so important to visiting nurses and the residents who are learning in this environment. Our patients adore (Mike) Stern. He is objective, and not afraid to ask questions.\u201d<\/p>\n


\nStern said every experience makes him a better nurse. <\/p>\n


\n\u201cIn hospice nursing, you are caring for someone who is at the end of life, and so that encompasses all of the spiritual and emotional aspects of care. My job is to help them get the most of their time. It\u2019s very humbling because they have opened their lives to me.\u201d

\nLopez worked with preceptor Sandra Mann during her community health rotation. <\/p>\n


\n\t\u201cYou assess the entire patient,\u201d Lopez said, \u201cand that includes hygiene needs, smoking, blood pressure and many other areas. And it\u2019s not just about the patient. It\u2019s about their environment and their families. Are they eating right? And it\u2019s all about documentation.\u201d<\/p>\n


\n\tOther members of the residency program and their hometowns are:<\/p>\n


\nAmanda St. George, Barrington; Jennifer Jennings, Warwick; Laura Boucher, Providence; Emily Burton, North Kingstown; Tami Tarbox, Warwick; Gladys Ansah, Providence; Janell Danzer, Coventry; Lynda Plante-Dalpe, Cranston; Simone Tessier, Cranston; Livia Graves, Cranston; Samantha Ohsberg, Rumford, and Madelyn Maher of Middletown.<\/p>\n


\nAdditional background on the nurse residency program:<\/p>\n


\n\tRhode Island\u2019s program is unusual in the United States, as most are affiliated with specific hospitals or agencies. <\/p>\n


\n\tThe $600,000 initiative was funded by the following agencies and groups listed here in alphabetical order: Blue Cross Blue Shield of Rhode Island, Care New England, Community College of Rhode Island, Governor\u2019s Workforce Board Rhode Island Innovative Paternships Grant, Lifespan, Rhode Island Center for Nursing Excellence, Rhode Island College, Rhode Island Foundation, Rhode Island State Nurses Association, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation State Implementation Program Grant, Routhier Foundation, Salve Regina University and 溏心vlog免费B站.<\/p>\n


\nLynne Dunphy, professor and interim associate nursing dean at 溏心vlog免费B站 and co-leader of the state\u2019s action coalition, and the 溏心vlog免费B站 Foundation successfully raised additional funds from other participating agencies and groups. Randi Belhumeur, who earned her master\u2019s degree at 溏心vlog免费B站 in food science and nutrition, is the nursing residency\u2019s program coordinator.<\/p>\n


\nPictured above

\nLeeann Moran, a North Kingstown resident and 2011 graduate of the 溏心vlog免费B站\u2019s College of Nursing, works with her preceptor, nurse Todd Kirschhhofer, as part of her residency rotation at Thundermist Health Center in West Warwick. <\/p>\n


\nCarolee V.C. Larimar, of Providence, who began a full-time job in February in the neuro-intensive care unit of Rhode Island Hospital, talks with fellow nurses residents about her experiences with the nurse residency program. A former holistic health practitioner with numerous certifications, she earned her bachelor\u2019s degree in nursing at RIC in 2013. <\/p>\n


\nRegistered nurses Mike Stern and Anny Lopez, center, both of whom earned their associate\u2019s degrees in nursing at the Community College of Rhode Island, both of Providence, completed rotations at Care New England\u2019s Visiting Nurse Association operation in Warwick. The preceptors for their residency rotations at Care New England were registered nurse Chris Kelly, left, and registered nurse Sandra Mann, right.<\/p>\n


\nRandi Belhumeur, left, who earned her master\u2019s degree at 溏心vlog免费B站 in food science and nutrition, the coordinator of the Passport to Practice, a statewide nurse residency program, and she talks with members of the first cohort that is wrapping up its first year. Residents from left are: Gladys Ansah, of Providence; Mike Stern of Providence, Tami Tarbox of Warwick, Emily Burton of North Kingstown and Laura Boucher of Providence. <\/p>\n


\n溏心vlog免费B站 photos by Michael Salerno photography.<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Workforce initiative results in full-time jobs for 11 nurses KINGSTON, R.I. \u2013 March 27, 2014 \u2013 Sitting in a classroom at the 溏心vlog免费B站\u2019s Providence Campus, the nurses begin sharing their experiences as part of the state\u2019s first nurse residency program. They talk of profound lessons, outstanding mentors and triumphs. Some of their […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":58784,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-58779","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-archives"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/58779","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=58779"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/58779\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/58784"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=58779"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=58779"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=58779"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}