JNPD
Nurse Residency Programs Column Editor: Jim Hansen, MSN, RN-BC
Laying the Foundation of a Nurse Residency Program
I
n ‘‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland,’’ Alice happens on the Cheshire Cat. Unsure of what her next steps should be, Alice asks the Cat for directions: ‘‘Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?’’ ‘‘That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,’’ said the Cat. ‘‘I don’t much care where,’’ said Alice ‘‘Then, it doesn’t matter which way you go,’’ said the Cat.
The Cheshire Cat has a good point: If you do not have a clear idea of what you are trying to accomplish or what the end result will be, then one path is really just as good as any other. The same principle applies to a good nurse residency program (NRP)Vyou have to have a clear idea of what you want to accomplish and what the end results will be. In other words, you have to begin with the end in mind. The best NRPs start with an inexperienced, but eager and willing, new nurse and end with a competent professional. However, what is a ‘‘competent professional?’’ What is competency? How is it developed? Measured? Evidenced? The truth is that competency means different things to different organizations, but Donna Wright has a meaningful definition: ‘‘the knowledge, skills, behaviors, and attitudes needed to carry out a job’’ (Wright, 2005). If you are a nursing professional development specialist involved in (or building) an NRP, you will ultimately need to define what exactly a ‘‘competent nurse’’ is and what knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behaviors they need to have. These are tough decisions to make, and making them from the start will help you later on. These decisions will direct you on what to add/leave out of the NRP curriculum,
Jim Hansen, MSN, RN-BC, Executive Director, The Nurse Residency Partnership, Post Falls, Idaho. The author has disclosed that he has no significant relationships with, or financial interest in, any commercial companies pertaining to this article. ADDRESS FOR CORRESPONDENCE: Jim Hansen, MSN, RN-BC, The Nurse Residency Partnership, 3581 E 1st Ave, Post Falls, ID 83814 (e
Nurse Residency Programs Column Editor: Jim Hansen, MSN, RN-BC
Laying the Foundation of a Nurse Residency Program
I
n ‘‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland,’’ Alice happens on the Cheshire Cat. Unsure of what her next steps should be, Alice asks the Cat for directions: ‘‘Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?’’ ‘‘That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,’’ said the Cat. ‘‘I don’t much care where,’’ said Alice ‘‘Then, it doesn’t matter which way you go,’’ said the Cat.
The Cheshire Cat has a good point: If you do not have a clear idea of what you are trying to accomplish or what the end result will be, then one path is really just as good as any other. The same principle applies to a good nurse residency program (NRP)Vyou have to have a clear idea of what you want to accomplish and what the end results will be. In other words, you have to begin with the end in mind. The best NRPs start with an inexperienced, but eager and willing, new nurse and end with a competent professional. However, what is a ‘‘competent professional?’’ What is competency? How is it developed? Measured? Evidenced? The truth is that competency means different things to different organizations, but Donna Wright has a meaningful definition: ‘‘the knowledge, skills, behaviors, and attitudes needed to carry out a job’’ (Wright, 2005). If you are a nursing professional development specialist involved in (or building) an NRP, you will ultimately need to define what exactly a ‘‘competent nurse’’ is and what knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behaviors they need to have. These are tough decisions to make, and making them from the start will help you later on. These decisions will direct you on what to add/leave out of the NRP curriculum,
Jim Hansen, MSN, RN-BC, Executive Director, The Nurse Residency Partnership, Post Falls, Idaho. The author has disclosed that he has no significant relationships with, or financial interest in, any commercial companies pertaining to this article. ADDRESS FOR CORRESPONDENCE: Jim Hansen, MSN, RN-BC, The Nurse Residency Partnership, 3581 E 1st Ave, Post Falls, ID 83814 (e
