The New Graduate Nurse Residency program at Wake Forest Baptist Health is designed for newly licensed nurses during their first year of practice. The program is called Transition to Practice and offers:
- Clinical academies during months 1-3
- Ongoing learning activities in months 4-12 that assist with the transition from student to nurse
- An opportunity for nurses to remain in the same cohort throughout the program and meet in small groups led by a facilitator
- Nurse Scientist-led discussion focused on the evidence-based process culminating in a project by the completion of the program
- Interactive content such as simulations, panel and small group discussions known as 'Tales from the Bedside'
Focus Areas During Months 4-12
- Documentation and Legal Pearls
- Delegation, Conflict Management
- Escalation of Concerns
- Care of Self-Preventing Compassion Fatigue
- Care of the Abusive Patient
- Ethical Considerations, Death and Dying
- Professional Development and Advocacy
- Interdisciplinary Simulation
Hear from other nurses who have been through the program:
“Today I was able to have meaningful content related conversation with my group members and facilitator. The facilitator was a great resource for us to ask questions.”
“I enjoyed being able to get together with our groups, it reminds me that I’m not the only new graduate having the same experiences or concerns.”
“I really enjoyed the question and answer at the end. It is nice to hear from seasoned nurses who were once in our new grad shoes.”
Nurse Residency Program FAQ
The New Graduate Nurse Residency program is designed for newly licensed nurses during their first year of practice. The program, called Transition to Practice (TPP), strives to provide support to nurses as they make the transition from student to nurse. Clinical content is provided to nurses during Clinical Academies which are service line dependent. Clinical Academies include the below:
- Surgical Services training program
- ED Academy
- Critical Care Academy
- Cardiology Academy
- Pediatric Academy
- OB Academy
- Oncology Academy
- Medical-Surgical Academy
All new graduate nurses are automatically placed in the program and there is not a separate application.
The Clinical Academies vary in length and provide the clinical foundation for nurses, providing education on equipment, policies and procedures, and care for the types of patients nurses will encounter.
TTP begins the third month of hire and runs for eight months and is designed to build upon the foundation set by the unit specific orientation with the preceptor and Clinical Academy.
Employees must remain in their positions for a minimum of 6 months. Exceptions to this requirement may be considered on a case by case basis.
For sign on bonus-eligible positions, applicants must remain in the position at the time the bonus installment is due to be paid in order to receive payment. Should one transfer out of a bonus-eligible position, any future installments are forfeited.
Newly licensed nurses are hired every month and can begin in orientation every month with the exception of the ED and OR who onboard newly licensed nurses twice a year. Typically the OR and ED on board newly licensed nurses in July and February.
Interested applicants should submit an application online at www.wakehealth.edu. Typically, for December graduates, we encourage applicants to start looking for positions around October and May graduates to start looking around January or February. New job postings may be posted weekly, or even daily, so applicants are encouraged to check job postings regularly. Applicants may apply for more than one position. We encourage applicants to be open-minded about various departments and specialties; some specialty areas such as L&D and Pediatrics receive a large number of applicants for a limited number of openings. Upon receipt of your application, our Talent Acquisition department routes applications to the Nurse Manager who reviews the applications and then may decide to interview an applicant. Applicants may have interviews with several managers if they apply for more than one position. Talent Consultants (Recruiters) will be back in touch with you if you are selected for an offer. There are times when candidates are extended multiple offers within the Wake system.
No, applicants do not need to wait until successfully passing boards.
New graduate nurses from accredited BSN and ADN programs may apply.
A complete, up to date resume is necessary to include with your application. Notations to include would be:
- Basic contact information (email, phone number)
- Education: including name of institution, degree, and completion date (or anticipated completion date)
- Certifications or completed trainings (ex. BLS, ACLS, NIHSS, etc.)
- Work experience and/or volunteer experience (this may also include clinical rotation experiences as a student)
Nurse Managers will reach out to applicants directly to schedule an interview. Interviews may be conducted by phone, virtual visit (WebEx, Zoom, etc) or in person. There may be multiple candidates interviewing for one available position. Applicants may have interviews with several managers if they apply for more than one position. Once the manager decides to make an offer, they contact their Talent Acquisition team member. The Talent Consultant will prepare the offer details and reach out to the applicant.
New graduate nurses will attend one week of Hospital and General Nursing Orientation (GNO) which may be offered virtually or in person, depending on the status of the Covid-19 pandemic. Electronic medical record documentation training is included the first week of GNO. Whether virtually or in person, applicants should be prepared to give full attention to orientation Monday-Friday 0800-1700. Upon successful completion of GNO, nurses should plan to attend a dysrhythmia class and then will be placed with a trained preceptor and begin working the schedule of their assigned preceptor. Most preceptors work twelve hour shifts. Orientation for nurses taking a day shift position usually occurs on day shift. Orientation for nurses taking a night shift position may be on nights or days, depending on the availability of trained preceptors.
Applicants can choose which position(s) they would like to apply for but it will be up to the Nurse Manager on which position(s) is/are offered to the applicant. If an applicant applies to and is offered more than one position, they will be able to make their choice from there.
TTP involves required paid, monthly educational opportunities beginning the third month of hire. Some educational sessions are offered in person and some are virtual, depending on the status of the Covid-19 pandemic. The in person sessions occur at the Bowman Gray Center for Medical Education in downtown Winston-Salem and are four hours in length. As a result, nurses are expected to work 40 hours a week one week a month for usually eight months. Dates are provided well in advance.
TTP content includes topics such as Care of the Abusive Patient, Self-Care, Delegation and Managing Conflict, Ethical Issues, Care of the Dying Patient, Documentation, and much more. Newly licensed nurses are also placed in a small group with a seasoned nurse facilitator and meet with the small group as part of the program. Each small group works together on an Evidenced-based/QI project that they present to other nurses and nurse leaders at the conclusion of the program. Our Nurse Scientist prepares nurses for the project and the project provides a great opportunity for nurses to learn early on more information about the Clinical Ladder program.