Fort Wayne, IND. – Aug. 5, 2024 – Parkview Health’s nurse residency program was recently granted a four-year re-accreditation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s (ANCC) Practice Transition Accreditation Program (PTAP).
PTAP sets the standard for residency programs that focus on transitioning new registered nurses and advanced practice nurses into their settings and roles. The ANCC is a subsidiary of the American Nursing Association, the nation’s largest advocacy group representing more than five million nurses.
Parkview is one of only three hospital systems and the only one in northern Indiana with an accredited PTAP program, according to the ANCC database.
“Being re-accredited through PTAP shows that Parkview continues to follow industry best practices when it comes to educating and transitioning new nurses into professional roles,” said Johnathan Liechty, director, Nursing Professional Development, Parkview Health. “Supporting new nurses as they start at Parkview allows them to get up to speed and provide excellent care as quickly as possible while also building strong connections with their co-workers. Nursing is a career of lifelong learning and our residency program sets the foundation for their journey.”
Parkview’s nurse residency program first launched in 2015 and received its first PTAP accreditation in 2020. Since its start, more than 2,300 newly graduated nurses have participated as residents at Parkview.
When hired at Parkview, newly graduated nurses enter in the residency program, which runs throughout their first year of employment. New nurses start with two weeks of classroom training at the Parkview Education Center before moving to train with preceptors in their assigned care areas, where they practice and demonstrate skill-based competencies. Resident nurses also attend monthly seminars on covering advanced nursing topics.
About 300-400 nurses are within their first year at any given time, making the nurse residency program Parkview’s biggest residency program.
Internal education programs are part of Parkview’s continuing strategy to recruit and retain the best workforce in healthcare. Parkview’s first-year voluntary turnover rate for nurses remains 6% below the national average, while overall nurse voluntary turnover is 4% below benchmark. Parkview has maintained its annual net hiring gain even amid high national competition for nurses.
“Nurses are the backbone of care at our hospitals and physician offices and our residency program helps ensure they can start contributing as quickly as possible after completing their degree,” said Juli Johnson, chief nursing and patient services executive, Parkview Health. “By educating, engaging and empowering our nurses, they are better adjusted, skilled and competent in their roles. That translates to high quality, effective and safe care to patients.”
To learn more about nursing careers at Parkview, visit parkview.com/careers.