CHI Memorial's RN Residency Program is accredited with distinction as a Practice Transition Program by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission (ANCC) on Accreditation in Practice Transition Programs. This is the highest recognition awarded by the ANCC.
All three CHI Memorial Hospitals are included in this accreditation with distinction designation. This is the first time CHI Memorial Hospital Georgia’s emergency department has received accreditation.
The workplace settings included in this accreditation with distinction designation are: medical-surgical, oncology, step down, critical care, operating room, and emergency room. Available settings vary by hospital location.
“We are proud that our RN Residency program is recognized by ANCC as one of the highest-quality transition programs for nurses,” said Rhonda Hatfield, chief nursing officer, CHI Memorial. “ANCC accreditation gives the nurses in our residency program confidence that CHI Memorial offers an elevated transition program with a clear course of instruction and reliable evaluation methods. Having a standardized orientation before pursuing a clinical specialty sets a solid foundation for long-term success.”
ANCC Practice Transition Accreditation validates hospital residency or fellowship programs that transition registered nurses (RNs) and advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) into new practice settings that meet rigorous, evidence-based standards for quality and excellence. Nurses in accredited transition programs, like CHI Memorial’s RN Residency program, experience curricula that promote the acquisition of knowledge, skills, and professional behaviors necessary to deliver safe, high-quality care.
“This accreditation affirms that our program is not just meeting the standards, but going above and beyond to meet and improve quality outcomes. We are continuously striving for best practices,” shared Justina Holmes, MSN, RN, NPD-BC, RN Residency Program Director.
CHI Memorial’s RN Residency program in its current design began in July of 2015. It is an orientation program for RNs with less than 6 months experience in the acute care setting. The goal is to provide a streamlined orientation experience for all new graduate RNs that provides them with the support they need to begin a successful nursing career here at CHI Memorial. The program includes participation from the chief nursing office (CNO), human resources department, nurse managers, preceptors, education team, administrators, as well as physicians and other providers. The program begins with an intense orientation period of on-boarding education mixed with bedside experiences in multiple nursing units.
“As a practice transition program, our residents are able to take what they learned in school and apply it to what they will be practicing at the bedside,” explained Kristin Powell, MSN, RN-BC, Director of Professional Practice, CHI Memorial. “This has been very helpful during the pandemic, because many students had to do their clinicals virtually instead of receiving hands-on experience.”
After onboarding, RN residents are matched to a home unit to continue and complete their orientation with a preceptor. The RN residency program continues to support the new nurse through monthly continuing education classes, one-on-one mentoring, as well as guidance with beginning his/her own professional development portfolio. In total, CHI Memorial’s RN Residency program is designed to walk with a new graduate nurse throughout the first year of their career at CHI Memorial.
CHI Memorial’s RN Residency program was first accredited in 2017 and was the first RN Residency program in Tennessee to receive accreditation. To date, 643 RNs from across the country have completed CHI Memorial’s residency program.
The next RN Residency cohort begins in July 2021. For more information about CHI Memorial’s RN Residency program, call 423 495-4173, or visit memorial.org/RNresidency.
The CHI Memorial RN Residency Program at CHI Memorial is also recognized by the ANCC Practice Transition Accreditation Program (PTAP) as an Industry-Recognized Apprenticeship Program (IRAP).