Overview
After a 2-week orientation, our critical care nurse residency program is conducted in two phases:
- Phase I: 12-16 weeks
- Phase II: 6-12 months
Masters-level clinical educators facilitate orientation to support and guide your experience. Clinical educators have experience and expertise in critical care. They regularly round on new registered nurses (RN) to track your clinical progression, report it to management and get regular feedback from you and your preceptors.
During this time of transition, the nurse residency will instill our hospital values of:
- Respect for life
- Fidelity to our mission
- Compassionate concern
- Joyful service
- Christian stewardship
Nurse residency goals
- Promote safe clinical practice
- Provide a strong competency-based orientation
- Support the advanced beginner nurse in strengthening essential nursing skills
- Develop clinical leadership skills at the point of care
- Link research-based evidence to practice outcomes and incorporate these principles into patient care
- Decrease nurse turnover rates
- Promote a lifelong commitment to professional nursing
- Demonstrate effective clinical decision-making skills related to clinical judgment and performance
Didactics
Our critical care nurse residency involves a didactic online program and classes. The online program, Essentials of Critical Care Orientation, is sponsored by the American Association of Critical Care Nurses. It includes ICU and PCU track curricula designed to promote professional growth.
Benefits
Participating nurses receive:
- Full salary
- Excellent benefits package
- Dedicated preceptors and educators for guidance and support
- Robust curriculum
Curriculum
You will spend clinical time in the unit with an assigned, experienced preceptor(s) for a minimum of 288 to 432 hours, depending on which unit you are hired in. This is a time to transition from a student to a competent, safe and confident RN. You will gain confidence practicing in a critical care setting caring for high-acuity patients.
During this time:
- Classes specific to Franciscan Health's policies and procedures supplement the online program.
- Classes cover skills such as EKG rhythm interpretation, hemodynamics and pharmacology.
- We utilize simulation in our state-of-the-art Simulation Center to work through emergency situations as a team in a safe, nonjudgmental environment.
Franciscan Health Simulation Center
The Franciscan Health Simulation Center adds an innovative teaching methodology to help integrate new knowledge into critical care nursing practice. Nursing residents will participate in simulation experiences using a high-fidelity manikin.
The Simulation Center consists of:
- Four simulation rooms
- Two debriefing rooms
- Control room
- Medication room with a working Pyxis
Rooms feature up-to-date patient care environments that simulate:
- Surgical suite
- Critical care/medical-surgical room
- NICU
- Labor and delivery
- Emergency department patient rooms
Requirements
Nurses who meet the following criteria are eligible for a nurse residency at Franciscan Health:
- First nursing role (or less than one year of experience) or have never worked in acute healthcare
- Graduated from an accredited nursing program with an ASN, BSN or MSN
Application Process
When you are hired as a new graduate nurse, you are automatically enrolled into your service line residency and its associated Franciscan Health Nurse Residency Program.
Our Location
While class location may vary, most classes will take place at our Education Center or our Indianapolis campus:
Franciscan Health Indianapolis
Franciscan Health Indianapolis
Franciscan Education Center
Franciscan Education Center
Contact Us
For more information about our critical care nurse residency program for graduate nurses, contact:
Kim Swisher, MSN, RN-BC, CCRN-K
RN Residency Coordinator
Phone: 317-528-3945
Email: Kim.Swisher@FranciscanAlliance.org