Grow Your Own: Valley View Nurse Residency Program celebrates milestone

In 2008, Valley View began its Nurse Residency Program recognizing the need for recent nursing graduates to have a structured transition from nursing school to practicing Valley View nurse, providing nurse residents with opportunities to put knowledge into practice. The program was originally funded by community donors who have continued to support the program over the years.

Today Valley View’s Nurse Residency Program accepts students from all accredited programs and is one of the most prestigious nurse residency programs in the state, noted to be Practice Transition Accredited Program (PTAP) with Distinction by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation – the only accredited program on the Western Slope.

In 2009, the program graduated its first class, and many of the graduates of the inaugural class continue to work at Valley View today. This includes Marianne Stallings, RN, clinical manager of the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) at Valley View.

“I was the only graduate from Mesa State in that first cohort, and completed my capstone, which is 120 clinical hours, on acute care here at Valley View,” says Marianne.

After three and a half years in acute care, Marianne transitioned to PACU, where she is involved in day surgery and the operating room. “I wanted to push myself and grow. To see the inside of the body in a controlled environment is always interesting and exciting.”

Approximately 200 nurse residents have moved through the program and completed evidence-based practice projects (EBPs) that focus on improving patient safety and experience. In addition, nurse residents take part in classroom instruction, clinical labs and simulation activities and formal mentorship. Classes dive into topics such as professional development, peer support, building confidence, self-care and work-life balance. There are two accepted cohorts per year and each group builds strong bonds during official and unofficial service projects hiking, biking or river trips.

Valley View’s new nurse residency program offers clear benefits that improve nurse retention and quality of care for Valley View patients, bridging the academic-practice gap and fostering a supportive environment for nurses to grow professionally. Nurse residents work in various departments including specialty care in the hospital, Calaway-Young Cancer Center, or in the ambulatory care track in paid, full-time positions. Marianne credits the nurse residency program for establishing her firmly as a Valley View nurse after graduation.

“Valley View’s Nurse Residency Program is about open awareness of interest and training those nurses if their fields of interest right way, transitioning them to where they want to be,” says Dawn Sculco, Chief Nursing Officer at Valley View.

Marianne maintains many of the friendships she formed during her residency year, particularly those who continue to nurse at Valley View. “What I would tell future nurses is to accept all information, know what your resources are, and have an open mind,” she says. “This program makes you a better nurse and really puts you into the culture of Valley View.”