Nurse Residency Programs: To Apply, Or Not To Apply?

It’s that time of the year! Graduating student nurses everywhere are transitioning from the stress of making it through school and clinicals, to the stress of preparing for the NCLEX and securing their first job.

I graduated from Howard University in 2018 with two job offers and another interview in the works. Because I’m Type A af I started researching hospitals and residency programs in like, September 2017, and started applying in December.

So, what is a Nurse Residency Program?

It’s well-known that transitioning from the classroom to clinical practice is a huge learning curve for nurses. There’s a gap between theory and practice, and residency programs are designed to help fill it. That’s why I’m always surprised when new nurses say that they aren’t applying to one.

Residencies typically last from 6 months to a year, and include an extensive orientation period and various education components that are specific to the facility or practice area. The length of unit orientations vary depending on the hospital and specialty. For me (I’m an oncology nurse in a research hospital), orientation was about 4 months.

Not all hospitals have a residency program, but more and more are adopting them. In many cases, regular job postings prefer nurses with at least one to two years of experience. Hospitals are generally fast-paced environments with varying levels of acuity, and training new nurses is a huge investment–both resource and time-wise. Residencies, like I said before, help bridge this gap.

A misconception I hear often is that nurses in residency programs aren’t doing “real nursing” yet. This is not true! You’re just as much a nurse as everyone else, just with a little more structure while you adjust to your new role.

My Residency Experience

As you may (or may not) know, I work at the National Institutes of Health. New grads are only accepted for positions in the residency program.

Once a week during the residency, my cohort met for classes that consisted of activities meant to get us acclimated to working as a nurse at the NIH–skills workshops, presentations from various clinical teams, nursing concept reviews, etc. We took tours of different departments within the hospital–the labs, the blood bank, the building on campus where all of the PubMed database lives… no big deal lol. Towards the end of the program, we got to shadow on different units to get a better understanding of what nursing looks like outside of our areas of practice.

While all of this was more than fulfilling, the best part for me was having a weekly reprieve from the unit, especially as a new nurse. My cohort became each others’ support systems and soundboards. We ended each residency class with a decompression session of sorts, where we reflected on our week, shared our victories and vented our frustrations.

Most, if not all, residency programs include some kind of project that you present at the end.

Finding the Right Residency Program

Obviously, I strongly recommend the residency route, although it is possible to start at a facility that doesn’t have one. If you do a residency, start your research the semester before you graduate. Many programs will open their application in the months before graduation, but there are a few with early application cycles. Don’t miss out on these opportunities because you didn’t know about them in time!

Research, Research, Research!

A nurse’s first job is critical. We’re in an extremely vulnerable and formative period, and our experience and transition into the workforce can often play a role in whether or not we stay in the profession. Nurse turnover and retention, especially in that first year, are an ongoing issue for healthcare facilities. This is part of the reason why residency programs are so valuable.

That being said, it would behoove you to make sure that the place you’ll be working is a good fit. Look into the nursing retention and satisfaction rates. Look at the facility’s overall reviews. Set up a day to shadow on units you’re interested in. While you’re there, ask the nurses about the work conditions and unit culture. Do they feel supported? Are their concerns heard, and taken seriously? How is the relationship between staff and management? What is the workload like? These are factors that can make or break your experience… trust me.

Also, please read the hospital’s website for its mission and principles! Not only will this give you an idea of if its values align with yours, but also, the last thing you want to do is go into an interview knowing nothing about the company you’re interviewing for. Read more about nursing interview tips and questions in this post.

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Navigating applying for your first job as a new nurse can be daunting. Luckily, residencies provide the structure, support, and guidance that hospitals without these programs may lack. Remember–feel free to leave a comment or reach out to me if you have any other questions! Happy residency hunting!