Post-Baccalaureate Registered Nurse Residency (PB-RNR) Program

Built in 1942, The Marion VA Health Care System is a Joint Commission accredited facility with 45 acute care beds (which include five Intensive Care Unit Beds), a 54-bed Community Living Center (CLC), a 20-bed Residential Rehabilitative Treatment Program (RRTP) and a free-standing Center for Behavioral Health located in Marion, Illinois.

We offer a full continuum of care in both inpatient and outpatient such as surgery (inpatient and outpatient), primary care (including home-based primary care services), medical/specialty subspecialty services, behavioral medicine services (including mental health intensive care management), physical medicine and rehabilitation, women’s health services, long and short-term care, chaplain services, clinical nutrition/dietetics services, and social work services.

Specialty services include (but not limited to) oncology, hematology, cardiology (including cardiac catherization and pacemaker implantations), urology, orthopedics, pulmonology, podiatry, ophthalmology, optometry, audiology, dermatology, gynecology, gastroenterology, otolaryngology, nephrology, respiratory therapy, speech pathology, occupational therapy, wound care, pain management, spinal cord injury (SCI), visually impaired services, palliative care, and dentistry.

The Marion VA Health Care System also operates the Evansville Health Care center in Evansville IN and
ten Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs) across three states (IL, IN, and KY).

The Post-Baccalaureate Registered Nurse Resident (PB-RNR) is a newly graduated Registered Nurse who participates in a 12-month trainee program, working under the guidance of preceptors in a variety of clinical areas. As a nurse resident you will participate in a comprehensive plan of study incorporating both didactic and clinical experiences with the focus of transitioning from a novice to competent nurse who is skilled in caring for Veterans and their families. Admission occurs bi-annually in the spring and fall.

The curriculum of the 12-month residency program is based upon the Commission on Collegiate Nurse Education (CCNE) standards for entry to practice nurse residency programs and is centered on leadership, patient outcomes, and professional role development.  

The curriculum is also designed to reflect a progression from care of the general, non-acutely ill patient, to the more complex or specialty patient population.  Residents participate in weekly didactic sessions and coursework to support their professional role transition, safe care delivery, advancement in critical thinking, and development of evidenced-based clinical care.

Philosophy

The PB-RNR program for newly graduated nurses will provide support to the residents with an extended training program to enhance the development of skills and confidence in practice while ensuring a positive transition from novice to competent nurse. Residents will be provided with both experiential and didactic learning opportunities, with an added focus on Veteran-centric topics.  In understanding how evidence-based care is essential in providing the best outcome(s) for the Veteran, the residency program will include evidence-based practice (EBP) curriculum to support knowledge and application into the PB-RNR’s nursing practice.  Overall, the residency program will support the newly graduated nurse in creating a solid foundation as they enter their nursing career. 

Mission

To support the transition and development of newly graduated nurses in delivering safe and competent Veteran-centric nursing care.

Goals

• Ensure transition of newly graduated nurses to develop safe and competent veteran-centric nursing practice using an academic residency model.
• Apply evidence-based knowledge into nursing practice.
• Support the development of professional and leadership behavior.
• Examine the impact of this program on resident and stakeholder satisfaction
• Enhance the recruitment and retention of VA nurses.

Expected Outcomes  

• 80% retention of PBRNR residents with the VA
• 70% completion rate of residents in the PBRNR program
• By 6 months, 80% of the residents will disagree (2) or strongly disagree (1) with the statement “I feel overwhelmed by my patient care responsibilities and workload” according to the Casey-Fink Survey
• By 6 months, 80% of the residents will disagree (2) or strongly disagree (1) with the statement “I am having difficulty prioritizing patient care needs” according to the Casey-Fink Survey
• By 12 months, 80% of residents will agree (3) or strongly agree (4) at 6 months with the statement “I feel prepared to complete my job responsibilities” from the Casey-Fink Survey.
• 80% of PB-RNR residents will achieve a score of greater than or equal to 4 (intermediate) at the 6-month preceptor evaluation on the 6 competency areas of Management and Delivery of Quality Patient Care and 5 competency areas of Professional Role and Leadership.
• 80% of PB-RNR residents will achieve a score of greater than or equal to 5 advanced beginner) at the 12-month preceptor evaluation on the 6 competency areas of Management and Delivery of Quality Patient Care and 5 competency areas of Professional Role and Leadership

• Enhance your nursing clinical and leadership skills.
• Experience a Veteran-centric learning and practice environment.
• Increase your confidence in providing competent nursing care to complex patients in a variety of settings that may include acute/critical care, medical-surgical services, outpatient services, mental health, rehab/long term care, geriatrics, spinal cord injury, or other specialty areas.
• Paid position
• Accrue sick and annual leave
• 11 paid Federal Holidays
• Tour of Duty:  Monday through Friday, typically 8 hr. shifts (no nights, holidays, or weekends unless special circumstances)
• Health benefits offered
• Hiring preference for open positions within the facility with successful completion of the program

• Recent or soon to be graduate of a pre-licensure BSN or MSN (entry level) degree program accredited by Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing or Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (*recent is defined as 12 months or less from time of graduation to the start date of the upcoming nurse residency program).
• Ability to obtain RN licensure prior to program start date
• No previous RN work experience. 
• Preferred cumulative GPA of 3.0 from your nursing program
• Active BLS certification
• Be a U.S. Citizen and meet standards for onboarding including background/security investigation as required by the Marion VA Health Care System
• Additional information on Eligibility to be a VA Health Professions Trainee can be found here: Am I Eligible? Checklist for VA HPTs

Application Submission

Send resume and/or any questions to:

Xennia Gruszczyk, MSN, RN

PB-RNR Program Director

xennia.gruszczyk@va.gov

618-997-5370- ext. 54866