Nurse Residents
Support and Guidance are Keys to Success
As your career begins there is so much to do and so much to learn - but truly great opportunities are rare. The New Graduate Nurse Residency Program here at UCLA Health can put you on the path to achieve your career's most far-reaching ambitions. Here you will be surrounded by and working with some of the profession's most accomplished individuals. People who can help you master the challenges of advances in treatment, healthcare delivery systems, new technologies, and patient acuity.
New Graduate Nurse Residency Program
The program is offered twice annually, with each program lasting approximately one year. The residency year provides several key components / resources:
- Orientation to UCLA hospital systems, nursing department, standards of care, and clinical skills lab
- Monthly education sessions that address leadership, patient outcomes, and professionalism
- Unit based orientation and educational programs
- Unit based preceptors and mentors
- Unit and hospital based clinical nurse specialists and clinical educators
Vizient/AACN Nurse Residency
Aligned with the nation's top residency curriculum (Vizient/AACN) our new graduate residents have the opportunity for training and education in critical thinking to lead at UCLA. Nurse residents participate in an evidence-based program focused on three core areas: leadership, patient outcomes, and professionalism. Benefits of this program for new graduate nurse residents include: competence and confidence in decision making, access to a learning network, satisfaction and professional commitment, consistent use of evidence-based practices, leadership and critical thinking skills, relationship building, efficiency and safety on the floor, and quality of care.
New Graduate Nurse Residency Commitment
Each new graduate nurse resident accepted into the program will be expected to:
- Commit to full-time employment for the one-year program, continued employment for a second year is strongly preferred
- Participate in one resident session a month and complete an evidence based practice project to present at the New Graduate Nurse Residency Graduation
- Fulfill all of the professional requirements of a first year member of the professional nursing staff on an assigned clinical service
- Adhere to all hospital guidelines as a member of the professional nursing staff
- Develop and utilize mentor relationships to support professional development
- Participate actively in general and specialized training experiences
- Complete program evaluations for purposes of improvement and outcome data
Program Areas
New graduate nurse residents will be assigned to areas based on several criteria, including the background of the individual, and needs and availability within UCLA Health. Opportunities may be available in the following areas:
- Medical/Surgical
- Emergency Medicine
- OR Training Program
- Adolescent-Child Psychiatry
- Adult Medical Psychiatry
- Geriatrics
- Medical ICU
- Pediatric ICU
- Neonatal ICU
- Perinatal
- Pediatrics
- Intermediate Care Units (Telemetry)
- Cardiothoracic ICU (Adult/Peds)
- CCU/Medical-Surgical ICU
- Surgical/Transplant ICU
- Neuro-Science/Trauma ICU
- Oncology
Conclusion of the New Graduate Nurse Residency Program
At the conclusion of the program, participants will transition from novice toward competent professional nurse in the clinical environment. New graduate nurse residents will develop effective decision-making skills related to clinical judgment and performance and will provide clinical nursing leadership at the point of care. The New Graduate Nurse Residency Program is continually evaluated for effectiveness through a variety of methods, including evaluations from the residents who have completed their one-year residency program.
For additional information, go to: Nursing Residents