UK HealthCare Nursing Graduates Take First Place in National Competition

LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 19, 2012) − Participants in UK HealthCare's Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) Residency Program recently won first place for their poster presentation at the annual meeting of the United Health Systems Consortium/American Association of Colleges of Nursing (UHC/AACN), held March 6 - 8 in Amelia island, Fla.
 

The BSN residency is a unique support program that provides a strong foundation to further advance the careers of new nursing graduates.

One aspect of the residency program involves the development of an evidence-based nursing practice project to foster improvements in patient safety and quality care.  Nurse residents from around the country are invited to submit abstracts to the national conference.
 

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

Twenty-eight posters were selected for participation in the UHC/AACN annual meeting, including two from UK HealthCare:  "Oral Endotracheal Tube (OETT) Securement," submitted by Jamie Raglin and Macy Young, and "A Smooth Transition-Improving Transfers from the PICU to the Acute Care Floor," submitted by Roseann Bertone, Dreama Brannock, Megan Carter and Katherine Willard. The first place winner was "Oral Endotracheal Tube (OETT) Securement."
 

The UHC/AACN) Nurse Residency Program is a one-year educational and support program for new BSN graduates in a bedside role, providing regular contact with expert nurses, peers and facilitators as they transition from student to their new nurse professional role within the hospital setting.
 

UK HealthCare and the University of Kentucky College of Nursing  have partnered to participate in this program since 2002. More than 20,000 nurses have completed the UHC/AACN program nationwide and the results have included positive outcomes in stress reduction, increased competence and leadership skills and higher retention rates.

At UK, more than 700 nurses completed the program as of July 2011. Jeanne Bouvier (UK HealthCare) and Claudia Diebold (UK College of Nursing) co-coordinate the UK BSN Residency Program. UK was one of six original medical centers and colleges of nursing to participate in this innovative program.

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