Nurse Residency Program Curriculum
Shift Work
All residents are paired with preceptors during their initial orientation period and follow their preceptor’s schedule, which could be day shift or night shift. After the initial orientation period, most residents will transition to a night shift position on their home unit.
Unit Rotations
All residents receive a welcome letter that requests their first and second choices of units. Lexington Health coordinates with its Chief Nursing Officer to determine the number of rotations available per unit and matches that list with residents’ preferences as best as possible.
Home Units
Many factors are considered when Nursing Administration and Human Resources meet to make home unit placements, including manager/preceptor feedback from rotations and home unit interviews; resident preferences; and available openings on the units.
No Contracts
Other than a Human Resources contract for any issued bonuses, there is no contract signed for Lexington Health’s nurse residency program.
Regular Evaluations
Lexington Health evaluates progress of all nurse residents during their rotations and wants them to be successful as they begin their nursing career. If a resident is not thriving in a particular division, nursing staff can discuss possible transition to an alternate division that may be a better fit.
Professional Development Classes
All nurse residents participate in the following quarterly classes:
- Delegation and Communication
- Time Management
- Conflict Resolution
- Critical and Ethical Decision Making
Benefits
- Orientation plan for 12 weeks with guidance from clinical team (length varies)
- Clinical and professional development
- Interactive classes, including simulation lab experiences
- Support meetings and evaluations with Residency Coordinators at the 12-week mark
- Opportunities for resident’s assessment and feedback surveys
- Timeline for successful completion of goals and objectives
