Congratulations to Delta Health (Delta, CO) for graduating their second cohort of RN residents. In collaboration with the Colorado Center for Nursing Excellence (CCNE), Delta Health launched its 12-month Nurse Residency Program in the summer of 2022. Funding was provided by the U.S. Department of Labor, with curriculum and support staff provided by the Iowa Online Nurse Residency Program. The second cohort of 2 new graduates completed the year-long program and presented their professional experiences during the graduation ceremony on Tuesday, August 8th, 2023.
Delta Health partners with IONRP and CCNE to provide support and professional development throughout the first year of nursing. The program provides learning opportunities through online content, interactive experiences with guest speakers, group discussions, skill-building, and mentorship. The program culminated with a professional experience centered around opportunities for improvement and included dissemination of the results to leaders and peers. Residents select from a change project, case study, or committee work.
Delta Health Nurse Residency Program Site Coordinator Shauna L. Meilner, MSN, RN, CCRN, CNE, praised the residents for their year-long commitment and shared outcomes of the professional experiences.
Professional Experiences from the August 2022 Cohort include:
- Erika Castillo, RN: Erika’s practice project centered around a case study specific to the unit and was titled, Duramorph and Foleys in the O.R. In conjunction with several urologists, she worked to develop an algorithm for placing catheters in the clinical setting, as well as an outline of future policy and procedure.
- Oceana Starr, RN: Oceana chose to focus on a practice project, Intracranial Pressure and Nursing Considerations. The project was born from a case study on meningitis and centered on staff education and nursing interventions. After researching cerebral blood flow and perfusion pressure information, she developed a PowerPoint presentation and handout educational tool. She plans to present her findings to fellow ICU nurses during an upcoming department meeting. One of the basic tenets of the residency’s practice project/case study is to encourage a culture of evidence-based practice in the workplace.
Congratulations to Delta Health on completing your second cohort of residents. We look forward to your continued partnership and support of future new graduate nurse hires.
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