Versant RN Residency Program

What Is the LPCH RN Residency Program?

In February 2005, Lucile Packard Children's Hospital partnered with Versant, a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing the nursing profession, to create the region’s first RN Residency Program. This program is offered through the Center for Nursing Excellence. The RN Residency program, designed by expert nurse educators and researchers, provides new graduate nurses with a comprehensive 20 week curriculum which includes both hands-on and classroom education. It has one aim in mind: to transition the newly graduated registered nurse from the student role to the role of a safe, competent and professional nurse.  
 

Goals of the Program

• Provide safe and confident care to patients
• Create a culture of professionalism and support
• Increase commitment and retention

Main Aspects of the Program

• Didactic curriculum
• Guided clinical experience
• Debriefing/Self-Care
• One-to-One mentoring

The program is continually reviewed and improved based on the feedback from those involved: RN resident, preceptor, mentor, manager, debriefer, clinical nurse specialist, and subject matter expert.

The program is offered two times per year.  

History of Versant

"The Versant RN Residency was developed at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) in 1999 to provide quality pediatric training for new graduate nurses. Shortly after, CHLA successfully replicated the RN Residency at three additional children’s hospitals in Southern California.  After seeing the RN Residency’s profound effect on lowering new graduate turnover rates and clinical performance, CHLA formed Versant, a non-profit, public benefit corporation, in May 2004 to bring the benefits of the program to other hospitals. In February 2005, Versant expanded the RN Residency to General Acute Care Hospitals. To date, over 4900 new graduates have successfully completed the RN Residency and the 70 plus hospitals that have participated have seen a dramatic reduction in their first and second year new graduate nurse turnover.  Additionally, Versant’s rigorous residency evaluation and statistical analysis have confirmed that the RN Residency prepares safe, confident and competent professional nurses." (From the Versant website)  

Please visit the Versant Web site for more information.