Memorial Hospital Gulfport (Miss.) has launched a one-year nurse residency program aimed at supporting new graduates as they transition into professional practice.
All newly hired graduates working in medical-surgical units will participate in the program, which includes clinical training, mentorship and didactic coursework covering both hard and soft skills. The first 16 weeks focus on robust orientation and clinical integration, with regular check-ins and rotations through different departments, according to a Jan. 22 news release.
Hospital leaders say the curriculum is designed to build competence and confidence at the bedside and ultimately improve nurse retention and patient outcomes.
The hospital, which is the flagship facility of Gulfport-based Memorial Health System, said it plans to pursue accreditation for the program through the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Practice Transition Accreditation Program.
Many hospitals and health systems have invested in comprehensive residency programs over the past several years. They typically span one year and combine clinical integration with didactic learning and mentoring. Nurse leaders have consistently credited these programs with lowering turnover among first-year nurses.
