Southern Ohio Medical Center (SOMC) was recently awarded accreditation by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) for the Practice Transition Accreditation Program (PTAP). The credentialing is for their Critical Care Nurse Residency Transition to Practice Program.

PTAP accreditation is awarded to organizations that demonstrate excellence in transitioning nurses to new practice settings. SOMC’s program includes a curriculum development collaboration with the Iowa Online Nurse Residency Program and focuses on new graduates who will be providing critical care in the Intensive Care Unit and Heart Care areas and has been offered since June of 2019.

“Our program supports new graduates entering the ICU and Heart Care,” said Ashley Salyers, SOMC’s PTAP Program Director. “It helps them acclimate and see what health care looks like outside of nursing school. The program helps new critical care nurses develop skills, competency and confidence as they transition into the critical care environment.”

In addition to preparing new nurses to work in critical care, the program also supports them as they adjust to the stresses and demands of the job.

“We do more than just teach new nurses how to do the job. We create an environment where they can feel supported and understand that they’re not alone,” said Salyers. “This can be a very stressful profession, and it’s important for them to know that there are people they can turn to when things are hard.”

The innovative Iowa Online Nurse Residency Program is designed to help recent graduates transition into their new role as professional nurse. The nurse residency program’s competency-based curriculum is delivered using a combination of live discussions as well as interactive online modules. The program can be implemented in a variety of clinical settings across the country. To learn more, visit nursing.uiowa.edu/IONRP.

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