In an effort to help ensure the success of hiring new registered nurses into its workforce, Mercy Medical Center Redding launched its new RN Training Program in August. “We have hired approximately 12 newly graduated registered nurses,” explains Karen Jones, Clinical Educator. “Our program is one of a few in California and is designed to help new graduates increase their competencies, confidence and skills, strengthening their transition from an educational setting into the hospital-based environment.” On Friday, Sept. 30, 2011, Mercy will host a celebration honoring these new nurses who are joining the Mercy team.
While California predicts that there is a pending shortage of nurses coming within the next two to five years, hospitals throughout the state are not hiring many newly graduated nurses because few openings exist due to a challenging economic climate with more tenured nurses remaining in the workforce and delaying retirement, Jones says. “We are excited to hire new graduates this year and to offer a comprehensive training program to help ensure their success on our team.”
The program offers eight to 12 weeks of structured training, orienting new nurses to transition from their role of new graduate/student to full-time nurse. For the first eight weeks, nurses are exposed to many areas of the Medical Center including the operating room, interventional radiology, critical care units, trauma service and emergency care as well as pediatrics. Every Friday, the new nurses also attend clinical roundtables with educational presentations by leaders of case management, respiratory care, pharmacy, physical therapy and radiology, our physician partners and speakers from other specialties. “We want to give our nurses the ‘big picture’ of how our entire organization works together for the benefit of our patients,” Jones explained.
-from press release
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