University Hospital Joins Vizient/AACN Nurse Residency Program™

Newark, New Jersey, July 2023 – University Hospital today announced the implementation of a Nurse Residency program based on the Vizient and American Association of Colleges of Nursing (Vizient/AACN) Nurse Residency Program™. The program is designed to ease the transition of newly graduated nurses from the classroom setting to the clinical practice environment to promote quality, safety and reduce turnover rates for first-year nurses. New graduate nurses will be able to transition from advanced beginners to competent nurses. They will be able to develop effective decision making skills related to clinical judgement and safety in the healthcare environment.

The program will be open to all graduating nurses hired by University Hospital with licensing from an accredited school. The program takes one year to complete. University Hospital understands that it takes a full year for new nurses to gain confidence, competence and engagement in both their profession and organization. The Vizient/AACN Nurse Residency Program™ has provided healthcare organizations with a transition-to-practice program for new graduate nurses since 2002 and is recognized by the Institute of Medicine as a model program.

“Transitioning into the nursing profession is a challenge for new graduate nurses. They are asked to jump into a difficult roles and expand their development quickly, leading to high turnover. We know that it takes a full year to grow their confidence, competence and engagement in the profession and the organization “said Evy Olson, Associate Vice President of Nursing Programs at Vizient. “We are pleased that University Hospital has made the commitment to support their nurses in their transition into practice and their professional development through a nurse residency program.”
For more information on University Hospital’s nurse residency program visit www.uhnj.org.

About University Hospital

University Hospital is an independent, state-owned, standalone medical center with 519 licensed beds and more than 3,600 employees. It serves as a regional resource for advanced care across a wide range of medical specialties. UH is home to northern New Jersey’s Level I Trauma Center and provides care in an abundance of complex medical specialties such as liver transplant, cardiology, neurosurgery, and stroke. As one of New Jersey’s most outstanding hospitals, the organization is vastly dedicated to patient care, research, and educating the providers of tomorrow.

About The Vizient/AACN Nurse Residency Program™

The Vizient/AACN Nurse Residency Program™ operates at more than 600 healthcare organizations. Since its establishment in 2002, more than 200,000 new graduate nurses have participated in the program. Notably, The National Academy of Medicine (formerly the Institute of Medicine) published The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health (2011) report identifying actionable measures that will transform the nursing profession –specifically highlighting the importance of nurse residency programs for nurses entering the transition-to-practice. To-date, the Vizient/AACN Nurse Residency Program has consistently shown to reduce turnover rates among first-year nurses. For more information, visit The Vizient/AACN Nurse Residency Program™ website.