In October 2010, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) published a landmark report, "The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health." The report makes eight (8) recommendations detailing an aggressive blueprint for action to develop a fully engaged nursing workforce prepared to assume a primary leadership role in transforming the healthcare system in the United States.
A closer look and focus on the report’s Recommendation 3 reveals a strong stance on transition to practice. The report’s opinion is that State Boards of Nursing, the federal government (e.g., CMS, HRSA), accrediting bodies (e.g., Joint Commission) and healthcare organizations (e.g., hospitals, healthcare systems, and foundations) have a direct responsibility to sponsor, support and evaluate nurse residency programs directed toward RN transition to practice, transitioning to advance practice, and transitioning into new clinical areas.
Featured prominently in the Future of Nursing report, the Versant® RN Residency has been rigorously evaluated for 11 years with over 8,600 resident graduates. The outcomes from this study present persuasive evidence of a fact already known to our clients: that both new graduate nurses and their organizations benefit significantly from the implementation of a structured, evidence-based, clinical immersion RN residency that includes classroom instruction, guided opportunities to develop hands-on mastery of nursing skills, support, professional guidance, and engagement of stakeholders.
