Accelerating Nursing Excellence from New Graduates
Versant Leads New Era of Nursing Analytics
Dr. Beth Ulrich to Spearhead New Initiative as Senior Vice President of Business Analytics and Research
In a continued effort to help hospitals retain quality, dedicated nurses and reduce new graduate turnover, Versant, developer of the Versant RN Residency, enters a new era of analytics designed to make fundamental contributions to a hospital’s clinical and financial outcomes. Beth Ulrich, EdD, RN, FACHE, FAAN, a nationally recognized thought leader with a passion for workforce issues, will be joining Versant as senior vice president of business analytics and research to lead this initiative.
The Versant RN Residency provides hospitals with a standardized process to ensure that uniform clinical standards and best practices are taught, learned, mastered and followed, with the goal to transition the novice nurse to a competent, professional RN. To date, more than 70 hospitals nationwide have implemented the Versant RN Residency and 4,085 new nurses have graduated from the program.
The Versant RN Residency model is based on 13 key performance metrics. Versant works closely with client hospitals to gather data on these metrics and other relevant measures deemed critical by the hospitals. Versant Analytics captures the critical information from the metrics and provides clients with an assessment of their performance relative to Versant’s evidence-based benchmarks. The new initiative will leverage Versant’s unique model and database to help hospitals develop a competent and confident nursing staff and retain the best nurses, thereby having a positive impact on the hospital’s clinical and financial results.
“Versant was founded to provide high-quality on-boarding for new graduate nurses, and we have consistently found that our hospital clients have seen a dramatic reduction in their first and second year new graduate turnover. Our rigorous residency evaluation and statistical analysis have confirmed that the RN Residency prepares safe, confident and competent professional nurses,” said Charles Krozek, RN, MN, president and managing director of Versant Advantage, Inc. “We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Ulrich to Versant and have her lead the charge in helping hospitals gain greater insights into their nursing workforce, resulting in higher-quality patient care and improved overall efficiency and workflow of the hospital.”
Dr. Ulrich brings more than 30 years of leadership experience in nursing and healthcare to Versant, holding multiple executive positions at both hospitals and large healthcare systems. Her areas of expertise include multigenerational work forces, new graduates and nurses’ views of the work environment. Prior to joining Versant, Dr. Ulrich served as senior vice president of the consulting services division for the Gannett Healthcare Group, a multimedia organization that provides information and education to registered nurses as well as healthcare consultative and research services. She is a past president of the American Nephrology Nurses’ Association and is a Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives and the American Academy of Nursing. In appreciation of her contributions to the nursing profession, Dr. Ulrich has received numerous awards. Most recently, the American Nephrology Nurses’ Association (ANNA) awarded her with the association’s highest honor, the Outstanding Contribution to ANNA Award. She also serves as the editor of the Nephrology Nursing Journal, the journal of the American Nephrology Nurses’ Association, which represents registered nurses specializing in pre-ESRD care, dialysis and transplantation.
“Through the Residency, Versant has accelerated the achievement of nursing excellence and enhanced patient care in hospitals nationwide,” said Dr. Ulrich. “Versant is already ahead of the curve with its dynamic approach to nursing education and training. I look forward to applying my expertise to help enhance the existing analytics structure and bring additional value to clients.”