In an ongoing effort to staff the hospital with only the most skilled and qualified professionals, North Fulton Regional Hospital announces the beginning of a new nurse residency program. The Versant RN Residency Program incorporates a comprehensive, evidence-based training model for the boarding of new graduate nurses.
As a result of their participation in the program, nurses gain valuable experience, judgment, skills and confidence, which are all needed for them to navigate the complexities of hospital life. Entering the professional world as novices, Residents progress to the competent level quickly, safely and efficiently.
A handful of North Fulton Regional Hospital nurses have some first-hand knowledge of what these new residents have in store for them. Simonette Moster and Leah Poole, RNs on the Medical/Telemetry Unit, both started as full-time nurses in March of this year.
“The hospital improved its new graduate orientation process for us while this new program was still in development,” Simonette explains. “We didn’t follow the Versant model, but our orientation leaders structured our time so that it may closely resemble what these new graduates might experience. We shadowed certain employees on certain days. The hospital started us with one patient at first, and then we progressed to two as we were able.” After speaking with some other nurses on the floor, Simonette realized how helpful this new program will be for the nurses still to come.
“With this program, the nurses won’t get overwhelmed as much. The step-by-step approach is the perfect way to work up to being completely independent. I would definitely recommend this program to new nurse graduates.”
Leah Poole has had a similar experience as she has progressed through her nursing orientation at North Fulton Regional Hospital. From January until March of this year, Leah worked as a patient care technician for the hospital. In March, she, along with Simonette, started her 12-week orientation process.
“I really enjoyed the entire process,” Leah said. “In addition to gaining the experience on the floor, we also got valuable classroom time where we learned the policies and procedures of the hospital and how to use the equipment on the units. A large part of this time was spent doing hands-on training.” The hands-on training available to both Leah and Simonette provided them with enhanced skills and confidence so that when they became independent RN’s on their unit they would be ready to provide the highest quality patient care possible. The Versant program will include similar classroom time, offering the Residents similar hands-on training.
The first class of nurse residents will begin on August 24th. During the 18-week program, the nurses will be exposed to the various areas of the hospital in addition to the unit for which they were hired. Through this process of “looping” they will shadow those in the ICU, in the Emergency Room, on the medical floor, etc., providing for a broad education of what the hospital does for its patients. For questions about the Versant RN Residency Program, please call Lu Leeds at ext. 2633.
North Fulton Regional Hospital (NFRH), part of Tenet Georgia, is a 202-bed, acute-care hospital located on Highway 9, Alpharetta Highway, in Roswell. Opened in 1983, NFRH serves North Fulton and surrounding counties through its team of over 1000 employees, 400 staff physicians and 200 volunteers. NFRH is a state-designated Level II trauma center and provides a continuum of services through its centers and programs, including neurosciences, orthopedics, rehabilitation, surgical services, bariatric surgical weight loss, gastroenterology and oncology. The hospital is fully accredited and also is certified as a Primary Stroke Center by the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, the nation’s oldest and largest hospital accreditation agency.
For more information about North Fulton Regional Hospital and its various medical and community programs, visit www.northfultonregional.com, or call 770-751-2500.