Cartersville Medical Center Launches Nurse Residency Program

CARTERSVILLE, GA -- Cartersville Medical Center has established a nurse residency program for hiring new graduate registered nurses into the hospital care environment.

The program, which includes the Cartersville-based facility and 21 other hospitals in the TriStar Division of HCA, offers nurse resident opportunities in a variety of patient care areas, facility sizes and geographical locations.

The TriStar Nurse Residency Program is a full-time, entry-level career opportunity that supports new graduates as they transition from student nurse into the professional nursing role responsible for patient care in a hospital unit.

“We are excited to begin a nurse residency program for new graduate nurses right here in Cartersville,” said Ed Moyer, chief nursing officer of Cartersville Medical Center. “Nurse residents will gain confidence and proficiency in delivering quality patient care, become engaged in enhancing patient care and begin professional development planning.”

Nurse residents begin their career with a 12-month, formalized series of learning experiences that include monthly educational sessions, guided clinical with preceptors, mentoring and debriefing with experienced nurse leaders, measurement and evaluation of skills through hands-on simulations, and working collaboratively on an evidence-based practice project.

Educational sessions include patient experience, crucial accountability, crucial conversations, ethics, culture of safety, charge nurse fundamentals and preceptor development.

Participants also benefit from a peer network and professional development planning for career progression. Nurse residency is the first step in a nursing pathway for a career that can grow within a single facility or expand to one of more than 160 hospitals across the country and in the United Kingdom.

“Cartersville Medical Center has invested in developing the future of nursing by supporting student clinical rotations for some time,” said Toni Strawn, director of staff development. “Adding a local option for a highly sought after nurse residency opportunity is an even greater investment in the future of nursing right here in our community.”

TriStar will offer two nurse residency cohorts, or groups, annually. Each cohort will offer opportunities in 13 patient care areas at 22 hospitals located in Northwest Georgia, metro-Atlanta, Southern Kentucky, and Middle and Southeast Tennessee.

Opportunities at Cartersville Medical Center include critical care, emergency room, surgical, perinatal and medical-surgical services.

Eligibility criteria includes being eligible to graduate from an accredited program or having less than six months’ experience as a graduate nurse; a 3.0 grade point average; and accepting a two-year commitment. Selection includes an interview with nurse leaders and peers from the care area of choice.

Applications are currently being accepted through Sept. 23, for the inaugural Winter 2017 Cohort that begins Feb. 13, 2017.

For more information about the residency program, upcoming cohort opportunities or working for TriStar, visit HCATriStarNurseResidency.com or CartersvilleMedical.com.

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Image via Cartersville Medical Center