Can you believe it? August of 2019 marked 5 years for the Iowa Online Nurse Residency Program. We have been partnering with healthcare organizations across the nation to provide a solid foundation for new graduate nurses transitioning to practice for over 5 years!
For those of you that weren’t around 5 years ago or maybe forgot, this entire program was based on a vision and call to action by the Iowa Action Coalition. Nurse leaders from across the state of Iowa formed a taskforce and blazed a new trail for transition to practice support. The group of innovative nurse leaders chose a different approach to nurse residency, one that could meet the needs of new graduate nurses starting their career in any setting. Thinking outside the box they chose to deliver the didactic portion of the program using an online platform. No longer would residency coordinators need to struggle with creating content or deal with the scheduling nightmare associated with it. Instead, new graduates log in and complete the online modules at their convenience. Using a flipped classroom and blended-learning approach allows for time spent with the new graduates to be focused on application to practice and peer-to-peer sharing instead of the delivery of the information. This approach not only provides an alternative to the traditional program, but it also allows for the program to be adapted to any size and type of healthcare setting. New nurses starting in large urban centers or the most rural and remote locations have access to the program throughout their first year.
Did you know the IONRP was the pioneer for online nurse residency? There were skeptics that said that it couldn’t be done, or it wouldn’t be as good as the traditional model. In October of 2018 research was published in the Journal of Nursing Administration detailing the outcomes of the first three years of this program proving IONRP to be an effective solution for nurse residency. You can read all about the outcomes in further detail here. Just a few months later in December of 2018 the first partner organization of the IONRP received PTAP accreditation with distinction by ANCC thanks in part to their use of the online modules for their curriculum development and we have others that will soon be following suit.
But it doesn’t stop there! The IONRP has now even went as far as to help organizations secure funding to support implementation of nurse residency in their organization. Even though return-on-investment of residency programs is well researched, many hospitals continue to struggle with acquiring the funds to support program implementation. Using an apprenticeship model, essentially bringing together a new nurse's orientation with the ongoing support and training of a residency program, has not only provided a funding source for scholarships but has also strengthened the already robust program with even more resources.
Over the years partnering organizations have benefited from consultation services being provided ensuring a successful launch and sustainability of the program along with the addition of various resources site-coordinators can use to simplify operationalizing the program. The online modules are now on their second revision since development to ensure they are up to date with the most relevant information and three additional topics were recently added, bringing a total of 16 modules to the program.
As this program evolves, it is also time for our brand and logo to evolve as well. Our old logo has seen us through tremendous growth over the years and now that our outreach spans from coast to coast, far beyond the borders of Iowa, it is time for our logo to do the same.
Over the next few weeks, you will see all the visuals around the Iowa Online Nurse Residency Program align with this evolved program: on our website, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn pages as well as our newsletters and program content.
Don’t worry, it's still us! We are still here providing employers of new graduate nurses with an evidence-based, cost-effective, and innovative solution for transitioning new graduates' nurses to practice we just have a new look! If you haven’t already, find us on your favorite social media site and subscribe to our monthly newsletter so you can continue to follow the evolution and see where we go next.
Nicole Weathers
Program Manager, IONRP
nicole-weathers@uiowa.edu