UK Nurse Residency Program Receives National Accreditation

LEXINGTON, Ky. (June 11, 2012) — The University of Kentucky's Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) Nurse Residency recently received a full five-year accreditation from the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.  Only six other programs in the nation are currently accredited.

UK Nurse Residents are newly licensed registered nurse graduates who participate in a yearlong series of education and support activities designed to provide the building blocks for a strong clinical foundation while facilitating a smooth transition from school to practice.

"UK HealthCare provides care for some of the region's most critically ill and injured patients," said Colleen Swartz, chief nurse executive for UK HealthCare.  "The complexity of care demands a strong professional nursing presence.  The new graduate transition to professional practice is a critical success factor for UK HealthCare’s ability to realize its mission.  The residency provides a superb foundation and framework to achieve a successful transition."

The BSN residency program curriculum was developed by experts from academic medical centers and schools of nursing across the country. Jeanne R. Bouvier, BSN co-coordinator, said the residency features core content in three critical areas: leadership, patient outcomes and professional roles. All BSN graduates employed by UK HealthCare participate.

UK HealthCare and the UK College of Nursing have partnered to participate in this program since 2002. Results show an increased ability to organize and prioritize care, effective communication skills and increased confidence, competence and autonomy.

The first year retention rate for the nearly 800 UK nurse residents who have participated in the UK BSN Nurse Residency — excluding the pilot program — is 90 percent. The 10 percent mean turnover of new graduates over a 10-year time span is considerably lower than the national average of close to 30 percent.

"The UK College of Nursing is proud to work closely with UK HealthCare to support all new BSN graduates as they transition from being a nursing student to their first professional nursing position," said Jane Kirschling, dean of the UK College of Nursing. "The recent accreditation distinguishes UK HealthCare even further as a preferred work environment for recent BSN graduates."

The BSN Residency program was developed by the University HealthSystem Consortium and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (UHS/AACN). More than 20,000 nurses have completed the program nationwide. At UK, more than 700 nurses completed the program as of July 2011. UK was one of the six original medical centers and colleges of nursing to participate in the BSN program.

Media Contact: Ann Blackford at (859)323-6442 or ann.blackford@uky.edu