FINDLAY, Ohio — Starting a new career can be a tough transition, especially for those in the medical field. That's why Blanchard Valley Health System is launching a program in the summer to ensure nurses are better prepared.
The Findlay-based healthcare company has announced the creation of its nursing residency program for new, incoming nurses to help them understand how BVHS serves its patients and help the transition from graduation to bedside care.
"When you start out as a new grad, it's very scary. There's a lot of different stuff out there and a lot of things to know," Jessica Geckle, a clinical resource nurse at BVHS, said. "We're hoping that this program will bridge that gap and help them with their transition as a new grad."
The COVID-19 pandemic forced many nursing classes online due to health and safety restrictions, which was detrimental to some nurses, Jessica Moore, the director of inpatient nursing at BVHS, said.
"Some of the nursing clinicals were cut short or it had to be more virtual instead of in an actual hospital setting," Moore said. "So, we also found that our new nurses lacked that confidence, they lack that comfortability with skills at the bedside."
Most nursing residencies are around 12 weeks, but the BVHS program will be for a full year It will also offer rolling admission for new hires so they won't need to wait a full calendar year to start.
BVHS nurses hired within the last six months will be automatically enrolled as well.
Incoming nurses will work alongside mentors, learn critical reasoning skills and practice in life-like simulations.
"The time management, the teamwork, the communication skills that they need to help them feel prepared, this program is going to give them that so they have that confidence," Geckle said. "I wish that we had this when I was a brand new grad because I think it will make a huge difference in their confidence and how they feel about nursing because now they have the tools they need to practice at the bedside."
The first round of nurses in the residency program will start in June 2023 and graduate in May 2024.