Post Baccalaureate Registered Nurse Residency (PB-RNR) Program
Are you a new graduate registered nurse? Cincinnati VA Medical Center is a great place to begin your career.
The Department of Nursing Professional Staff Development at the Cincinnati VA Medical Center offers Baccalaureate RNs newly graduated from accredited programs a twelve-month residency in community partnership with the University of Cincinnati and Xavier University Colleges of Nursing. The Cincinnati VA Medical Center’s Post-Baccalaureate Nurse Residency Program is funded through the VA Office of Academic Affiliations.
Residents will enjoy completing our nurse residency program including dedicated and robust didactic, precepted clinical experiences, and experiential learning activities. These experiences are designed to provide the new graduate RN opportunities to effectively transition to competent professional nurses, focusing on developing effective decision-making skills, incorporating evidence into practice, supporting clinical leadership at the point of care, and promoting life-long learning, and resilience in nursing practice. You will practice collaboratively in an interprofessional model and gain an integrated perspective of nursing leadership and the VA healthcare system.
As a nurse resident, you will cover multiple VA Cincinnati Medical Center clinical settings. The year is like a fellowship – you will earn significant work experience, training, and skill development opportunities not typically available to someone starting an entry-level nursing position.
Faculty and Staff Profiles:
Program Goals
Develop residents who provide evidence-based, high-quality, patient-centered care in complex environments.
Foster the integration of interprofessional collaboration into PB-RNR graduates’ practice.
Produce future healthcare leaders in the professional practice of nursing.
Develop skilled proficient and effective faculty, preceptors, and mentors.
Increase new RN graduates' satisfaction with transitioning from entry-level novice or advanced beginner nurses to competent professional nurses.
- Increase retention rates of current RNs at the Cincinnati VA Medical Center.
Post Baccalaureate Nurse Residency Experiences
PB-RNR residents will have the opportunity to gain experience in several specialty areas of nursing under the supervision of an experienced clinical faculty. Areas of nursing care offered at Cincinnati VA Medical Center include but are not limited to:
- Acute Care/Critical care including invasive and noninvasive ventilatory support patients, postsurgical inpatient care, care of critically ill patients, and multidisciplinary patient management (Critical Care, Medical Surgical, multiple Surgery subspecialties, Respiratory Therapy, Nutrition, Internal Medicine) experiences. Some experiences are for a few days in areas like PACU.
- Mental Health (both inpatient and outpatient) including addiction and substance abuse, military sexual trauma, post-traumatic stress disorder, and suicide prevention.
- Community Living Center is a place where Veterans can receive long-term care, rehabilitation, and hospice care, including help with daily living activities (e.g., bathing and getting dressed) and skilled nursing and medical care. The role of the RN as a supervisor is emphasized in these long-term care settings. The mission of a Community Living Center is to restore each Veteran to his or her highest level of well-being. It is also to prevent declines in health and to provide comfort at the end of life.
- Primary and Specialty care clinics are multidisciplinary areas that provide complementary medicine and standard medical treatments to deliver holistic care to Veterans. Patient-aligned care teams work collaboratively in primary care to provide for all the patient's healthcare needs—or appropriately coordinate care with other qualified professionals to meet Veterans' needs. In Specialty clinics, the unique care of Veterans is addressed in these outpatient clinical areas.
Clinical Fellowship Experience Outcomes / Deliverables
- Veteran-centric Curriculum
- Completion of Personal Development Plan, Professional Development Portfolio with practice proficiency
- Formal supervisory completion of Graduated Levels of Responsibility, Knowledge and Skills Assessments, Observational Experiences Checklists
- Formal Mentorship Program with Academic Affiliations
- Service-based learning experiences
- Evidenced Based Practice initiative / Presentation
- Quality Improvement participation in clinical areas
- Journal Club presentations (interdisciplinary)
- Professional Experience self-reflections
- Whole Health emphasis
- Completion of telemetry course
- Completion of BLS
- Completion of all program requirements within a 12-month time frame
Benefits
Valuable experience developing and growing your RN skills and knowledge alongside expert colleagues.
- Annual stipend
- Health Insurance
- Paid leave days: 11 federal holidays; including vacation and sick time.
- Free Parking
- Structured mentoring opportunities
- Enhance clinical and leadership skills in a variety of clinical settings.
- Understand the continuum of care across the entire healthcare system.
- Veteran-centered practice environment to ‘Care for Those Who Have Served Us’
- 100% protected time
Eligibility Requirements
- United States Citizen
- Graduated from a CCNE or NLNAC accredited program with a BSN degree serving in your first nursing role.
- Minimum cumulative grade point (average of 3.00 on a 4-point scale)
- Current, unrestricted RN license
- Must pass a pre-employment medical exam and drug testing
- Be proficient in spoken and written English
- Must be able to complete 366 days
Application / Deadlines
If you meet the above requirements, please submit the following:
• Cover letter, including why you are interested in this Residency program
• Resume
• School Transcript (does not need to be official for the application process)
• Two letters of reference, including one reference from a senior-year nursing faculty member
• DD 214 (if Veteran)
Application Deadline: Early Spring of each year
Interviews: Late Spring of each year
Selection Notification: Within 2 weeks post-interview
Email application packet to:
Brian.Thesing@va.gov OR Cindy.Childress@va.gov
Cincinnati VA Medical Center
3200 Vine St
Cincinnati, OH 45220
