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On May 18, the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s (ANCC) Commission on Accreditation in Practice Transition Programs awarded our New Graduate Nurse Residency Program its “Accreditation with Distinction” — ANCC’s highest possible level of recognition.
Shirley Ryan AbilityLab is the first and only rehabilitation hospital with this accreditation, and it places us in the company of other top medical institutions, including the Cleveland Clinic, Mayo Clinic, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital, UChicago Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and MD Anderson Cancer Center.
About Our New Graduate Nurse Residency Program
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Our New Graduate Nurse Residency Program provides a robust, planned, comprehensive infrastructure for newly graduated registered nurses to expand their knowledge, skills and attitudes. It encompasses organizational orientation, practice-based experience and supplemental activities to promote nursing professional development. In the process, residents move from entry-level competence toward proficiency and expertise within the defined standards of practice for rehabilitation patient care.
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All RNs who have graduated from an accredited school of nursing (bachelor’s degree or master’s degree), have less than 12 months of experience, and have been working at the hospital for at least three months (having successfully completed their initial transition into practice experience on their designated unit) are eligible.
This accreditation program from ANCC — the same organization that awards Magnet distinction — is meant to ensure that nurses have needed support, mentorship and professional development opportunities to advance their careers.
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The accreditation process included a written self-study submitted in February 2020 describing outcomes in evidence-based practice and new graduate nursing retention, and a virtual site visit on April 7.
During this site visit, our team shared additional information with appraisers and several former nurse residents described how nurse residency helped them develop their careers as rehabilitation nurses. Appraisers cited the program at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab for its unique focus on rehabilitation nursing and linkage with the practice competencies outlined by the Association of Rehabilitation Nurses.
