About the Nurse Residency Program
The Lee Health Nurse Residency Program is a groundbreaking residency opportunity. Candidates hired into Lee Health’s Nurse Residency Program include newly licensed nurses, nurses wishing to change specialties, and nurses that wish to return to our acute-care setting after an extended leave. No matter the reason, Lee Health System highly values our nurse staff – each nurse resident will receive daily support from their team and colleagues, proper patient care education, professional development opportunities, and mentorship.
Each resident in the Nurse Residency Program will receive an in-depth assessment of their critical thinking skills necessary for success in acute care. This assessment will guide nurse educators in the development of an individualized orientation plan for each nurse resident.
Lee Health's Nurse Residency Program's main objective is to help transition the nurse resident into a safe, competent, confident and satisfied independent nurse. The first year of practice can be a stressful time for new grads, so all participants in the Program will also be assigned a Resident Development Specialist (RDS) to ensure oversight of their development and to provide support and mentorship.
In addition, the Nurse Residency Program offers experienced nurses the opportunity to bridge to a higher level of acuity, thus promoting clinical advancement and career growth. The program also supports nurses who are returning to the bedside. Experienced nurses would apply to the Experienced Nurse Bridge Residency.
The Lee Health Nurse Residency Program is proud to be ANCC accredited*
Lee Health Nurse Residency Program's evidence-based curriculum offers residents a collaborative learning environment to successfully transition into clinical practice. Residents are given the opportunity to work alongside experienced staff and learn in a real-life setting to be better prepared and more confident as they enter the workforce.
- Quality of residency program content
- Knowledge and experience of faculty
- Evidence-based practice
- Satisfaction of residents
- Improved patient care and outcomes
*Lee Health Nurse Residency Program is accredited as a Practice Transition Program by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation in Practice Transition Programs.
The current sites included in this accreditation designation are:
- Cape Coral Hospital
- Golisano Children’s Hospital of SouthWest Florida
- Gulf Coast Medical Center
- HealthPark Medical Center
- Lee Memorial Hospital
The current workplace settings included in this accreditation designation are:
- Medical-Surgical
- Oncology
- Step Down (PCU)
- Critical Care
- Labor & Delivery
- Ante/Postpartum
- Labor, Delivery, Recovery, and Postpartum (LDRP)
- Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)
- Pediatrics
- Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU)
- Operating Room
- Emergency Department
How Will the Nurse Residency Program Help Me Reach My Full Potential?
Since the Nurse Residency Program is a truly individualized program, the classroom content and clinical experiences have been designed to be tailored to the unique needs of each Nurse resident.
The Nurse residents will be introduced to professional practice and explore topics, including:
- Professionalism, Effective Communication, Delegation, Conflict Management, Interprofessional Teams, Patient Centered Care, Critical Thinking, Time Management
- Health & Wellness
- Mentorship, Ethics, Well-being, Professional Pathways
- Professional Practice and Evidence-based Practice
- Journal Clubs, Simulation and more
In the weeks that follow, each nurse resident will work side by side with an experienced nurse, referred to as a Clinical Coach. Clinical Coaches enjoy working with nurse residents and have completed additional education to prepare for this teaching role.
There is not a pre-determined length of time allotted for a nurse residents to transition to independent practice. We have found that customizing the length of orientation based on practice area and individual needs is best practice and could range anywhere from 6-20 weeks.
The RDS will meet with the nurse resident on a regular basis, to ensure a smooth transition to independent practice. The RDS will then continue to work with the nurse resident for the length of residency program to assist with professional development, career planning and mentorship.
Here at Lee Health, nurse residents are accepted into all clinical areas, intermittently throughout the year. Some of our practice areas include:
- Cardiac Medicine
- Emergency Department
- Intensive Care
- Labor and Delivery/Mom-Baby
- Medical/Surgical
- Neonatal Intensive Care
- Neurology
- Oncology
- Operating Room
- Orthopedics
- Pediatric Intensive Care
- Pediatrics
- Progressive Care
- Rehabilitation, Dialysis, Home Health
Lee Health has four acute care and two specialty hospitals.
They are Cape Coral Hospital, Gulf Coast Medical Center, HealthPark Medical Center, Lee Memorial Hospital, Golisano Children's Hospital of Southwest Florida, and the Rehabilitation Hospital of Southwest Florida.
How Do I Apply to the Nurse Residency Program?
Applicant must be in one of their final two semesters of a nursing program in order to apply. The potential candidate will apply online at https://jobs.leehealth.org/jobs/nurse-residency/. Please choose one generic “Intern/RN” position application. Experienced nurses interested in the Nurse Bridge Residency should apply to one job posting, "Bridge Experience RN Residency".
In order for the application to be approved and accepted, applicants must hold a current American Heart Association Basic Life Support card, valid for at least 90 days from the hire date. Once the online application is approved and accepted, the candidate may be contacted by phone for a brief HR interview. Several more interviews will be conducted during the selection process, as Lee Health places a high value on hiring the best candidates for our nurse residency program.
Due to the investment in each individual resident’s growth, a work commitment agreement will be required upon entry into the nurse residency program.
Applicants must be a graduate of an accredited school of registered nursing.