Nurse Residency Program
What is the MUSC Health Nurse Residency Program?
MUSC Health Nurse Residency is a 12-month educational program to help newly graduated registered nurses transition from classroom to bedside. The curriculum emphasizes the development of clinical and leadership skills necessary for a beginner R.N. to become a fully engaged member of our care team and a successful partner in patient care.
MUSC Health is committed to your success as a new graduate nurse. Our nurse residency program is part of our Transitions in Nursing Practice Program. As a newly licensed nurse, you now have a responsibility to care for real patients with real illnesses. We want you to feel confident and supported as you learn how to navigate the environment of health care.
Nurses who have completed residency programs report:
- A significant increase in their ability to organize, prioritize and deliver safe care
- A significant increase in communication and leadership ability
- A significant decrease in self-reported stress levels
Who participates in the Nurse Residency Program at MUSC?
All registered nurses who join our care team within their first 12 months of clinical practice are automatically enrolled in the program upon hire. Participation is mandatory. Each participant is granted paid educational time every month for all nurse residency program classes and seminars.
When does the Nurse Residency Program take place?
Each nurse resident will receive an email from the program manager within a few weeks of their MUSC start date. The nurse residency program begins with attendance at the Nurse Residency Program Orientation Class during the second or third month of your unit's clinical orientation. Clinical unit orientation is completed during your first five months. In the sixth month, nurse residents begin attending Nurse Residency Program Seminars. The Nurse Residency Program Seminars take place every month. The topics are scheduled on a rolling calendar, repeating every six months. The end of the program coincides with your completion of 12 to 13 months of clinical practice.
Some sample topics include:
- Patient-and-Family-Centered Care
- Ethics in nursing practice
- Palliative and End-of-Life care
- Effective functioning within an interprofessional team
- Stress management, resilience and self-care
- Communication and conflict resolution
- Cultural competence in the nursing care environment
- Skin integrity and wound management
- Pain and symptom management
- Infection prevention and control
- Management of the changing patient condition
- Using evidence-based practice to improve patient outcomes
The program curriculum offers in-person monthly interactive seminars with subject matter experts, peer group activities, a feedback forum, digital professional development resources, and opportunities to engage with shared governance groups. These seminars do not replace the clinical orientation experience on your unit with your designated preceptor.
Where can I participate in the Nurse Residency Program?
Our in-depth 12-month nurse residency program is currently offered in Charleston, SC. Our regional medical centers in Lancaster, Florence, and Columbia offer similar, shorter educational programs.
For more information, ask about nurse residency options in your interview.
What are the benefits of the Nurse Residency Program?
- Guidance from dedicated, trained preceptors during the clinical unit orientation phase of your first year of nursing practice
- Mentored clinical relationships supporting your professional development throughout the program and beyond
- Structured educational enrichment experiences designed to develop your nursing professional identity and practice standards
- Inclusion in a group that allows for professional growth in a safe, protected environment
- The opportunity to gain experience in clinical practice in an environment committed to learning
- Peer-to-peer support from other members of the program
- Introduction and access to experts in nursing and other health care disciplines
Interested in joining our Nurse Residency Program?
Ask a recruiter when you're applying to a RN 1 position, or interview at our New Graduate Interview Blitz, which takes place twice a year, in the spring and fall.
