Advance for Nurses
The Gold Standard: Versant Residency Programs
By Sandy Keefe, MSN, RN
Informally known as the gold standard for nurse residency programs, the Versant RN residency is a program staffed by experienced nurse executives, researchers, educators, statisticians and Web technology experts. Hospitals partnering with Versant have access to experts such as Charlie Krozek, MN, RN, president and managing director, Versant residency program, Los Angeles.
Feedback Is Crucial
For many years, new graduate nurses have expressed a need for more feedback during their transition into practice. "The Versant Residency is evidence-based in two ways," Krozek explained. "Not only do we look for evidence that the program works, but we also provide new grads with constant evidence of how they are doing within the program. It's our goal to transition newly graduated RNs in a comprehensive, supportive environment so they can become confident in their practice and to ensure their ability to provide safe and competent care to their patients."
Versant nurse residents receive regular electronic feedback about how they're doing compared with other nurse residents. "The nurse managers also sit down and keep the dialogue going based on that evidence," said Krozek. "This process benefits not only the superstars who receive confirmation they're doing well, but also provides an opportunity for extra help for nurses who are struggling to bring themselves up to a certain level of competency. If the nurse resident isn't a good fit for a particular unit, the evidence makes that clear so there can be discussion of a reassignment."
Preceptors Along the Continuum
The idea of having a preceptor team for each nurse resident came about when Versant leaders identified difficulties scheduling a resident 1-to-1 with a single preceptor for 18 weeks. "We use technology to track the competencies and progression of each nurse resident, making it possible to assign two or three different preceptors," said Krozek. "Hospitals also use the technology to differentiate their current preceptors into three categories within Benner's model: competent, proficient and expert."
"The goal is to have the new grad start out with a competent nurse who probably has about 2 years of experience," Krozek continued. "The competent nurses' work is strongly based on procedures, and they can remember what it's like to be a novice and teach accordingly. Toward the end of the transition program, the resident is paired with an expert nurse who operates experientially."
Krozek emphasized the importance of protected time for novice practitioners within a nurse residency program. "If they're thrown into independent practice too early, that defeats the residency's goal of allowing them to develop confidence in themselves," he said. "Our research shows that nurse residents at the end of 18 weeks of protected time have the same confidence level as a control group of new grads have at the end of 13 months."