Hawaii’s Nurse Residency Program works to reduce the turnover of new graduate nurses in the first year as a registered nurse, ultimately leading to the retention of highly qualified and skilled clinicians.  The Center in collaboration with local nursing education programs and health care providers, including hospitals and extended care facilities, implements a year-long evidenced based best practice Nurse Residency Program.

Research shows that newly-hired graduate RNs are especially vulnerable during their transition period as they apply lessons learned in the classroom to a real-life clinical setting.  Traumatic experiences can lead to loss of new nurses in the healthcare organization and potential loss to the profession.

How Nurse Residents are Selected

In order to gain entry into the Nurse Residency Program, a nurse must first be employed by a healthcare organization that participates in the nurse residency program, either as an existing employee or a newly hired employee.  The organization then selects who will participate in the nurse residency program, based on criteria that varies depending on the organization.  Please contact the Human Resource Department of healthcare organizations you are interested in to determine employment and nurse residency options.

Background

To support the retention and transition to practice of new nurses, reduce attrition, and facilitate a smoother and more successful transition from the academic program to nursing practice, the Center led the development of the first multi-facility statewide NRP nurse residency program partnership of its kind in the country

In 2012, the Center formed the HNRP, a collaborative partnership between Hawaiʻi hospitals and schools of nursing, to share resources and expertise, and to strengthen the relationship between academia and clinical healthcare delivery. As of 2021, HNRP membership is comprised of 14 partner hospitals covering all counties of Hawaiʻi. Partner lead HNRP programs are typically 1 year-long on-the-job educational, mentoring, and training experience to develop effective communication, leadership, and critical thinking skills, and exposure to EBP.

 

Informational Briefs

Hawai‘i Nurse Residency Collaborative: Desirable Competency List
September 18, 2023

Assessment of Specialty Nurse Needs for Hawai‘i
April 2022

Nurse Transition to Practice
December 2021

Certification for Residents on neighbor Islands in Hawai‘i
September 2019

Nurse Transition to Practice
October 2018

If you are a Hawai’i school of nursing or nursing employer, and you are interested in becoming a member of the Hawaii Nurse Residency Program, we encourage you to contact our HSCN representative at (808) 956-5211 for information on how you may participate in this statewide collaborative.