Bay Pines VA Improves Veteran Care Through VA PB-RNR Program
The Bay Pines VA Healthcare System remains committed to improving the Veteran experience. One of the ways this is done is by ensuring future nurses are equipped with the skills and knowledge they need to serve those who served us.
Recently, Bay Pines VA Nurse Residents Nee Nguyen, Emily Warner and Nneka Sinclair were highlighted by the VA’s Office of Academic Affiliations for being the first cohort to complete Bay Pines VA’s Post-Baccalaureate Registered Nurse Residency (PB-RNR) Program.
“Bay Pines is one of 61 VA facilities across the nation to have this prestigious residency,” said Bay Pines VA PB-RNR Program Director Dr. Cindy Bratcher. “The goal of the program is to build a pipeline of highly skilled [Bachelor of Science in Nursing]-prepared nurses at Bay Pines VA.”
The PB-RNR Program is a 12-month, paid residency that helps recent nursing school graduates transition from the classroom environment to clinical practice by providing participants the opportunity to hone their critical thinking and evidence-based decision-making skills.
“During their residency, the nurses spent two eight-hour days per month learning in a classroom environment,” said Bratcher. “The rest of their time was spent doing clinical rotations throughout the facility with the goal of providing them as much exposure to different areas.”
The clinical portion of the program is divided into three phases, with the first phase focusing on developing the nurses’ initial competencies under the supervision of a primary preceptor. The second phase teaches participants about the VA system via rotations through various clinical areas such as the Outpatient Specialty Clinics, the Community Living Center, Inpatient Mental Health, Home-Based Primary Care, and more. The third and final phase focuses on nurturing leadership and professional development within these burgeoning VA change-makers.
Introducing participants of the program to the various modalities of care offered across the healthcare system helped them gain a deeper understanding of the scope of care provided to Veterans while also helping them identify their passion.
“I figured out that I have an interest in [Intensive Care Unit] and psychological health,” said Warner. “This program provides an immersive experience to help you find out what you like, while gaining additional knowledge.”
Sinclair, another participant of the program, added “This program has helped me gain confidence in my skills as a nurse. I’m always learning new things from the staff as well as my fellow program participants.”
The enhanced confidence and skills that residents gain through PB-RNR directly correlates to the quality of care provided to Veterans.
“The Veterans who we see are like family,” said Nguyen. “We have so much support from all the staff, and everyone goes above and beyond to give back to the Veterans here.”
While none of the residents are Veterans themselves, they all hold a special place in their hearts for our Nation’s heroes.
“I come from a long line of Veterans,” said Sinclair. “I’ve seen firsthand the hard work that Veterans have done and, because of that, I believe there’s a level of respect and care they deserve.”
The second cohort of three residents will start in August of 2024 and graduate in the summer of next year. Nurses who are interested in participating in the program can contact the Residency Program Director at Cindy.Bratcher@va.gov or the Nurse Recruiters at Baypinesnurserecruiter@va.gov for more information.