A new program initiated with the support of the ThedaCare Family of Foundations aims to improve recruitment and retention of Emergency Department (ED) nurses at seven ThedaCare hospitals.
 
“Recruiting and retaining nurses for Emergency Departments is a challenge for every hospital,” said Audrey Rosin, RN, manager of Emergency Services at ThedaCare Regional Medical Center-Neenah. “This new Emergency Nurse Residency Program aims to provide the training and experience nurses need to confidently care for the patients coming to the ED.”
 
Rosin said there is an opportunity to provide additional training, orientation and onboarding to help nurses be more successful.
 
The Emergency Nurses Residency Program (ENRP), developed by the national Emergency Nurses Association (ENA), is an 18-week program focused on building decision-making skills, improving clinical judgment, reducing burnout, and assisting in acclimation to the ED. It includes four weeks of classroom instruction interspersed with hands-on simulation during which time the nurses will engage with experienced ED nurses and do on-the-job shadowing.
 
“When their classroom training is focusing on a specialty area, such as cardiology or neurology, the nurses will spend four hours in the Cath Lab or working on the Neuro unit, for example, as part of job shadowing,” Rosin explained. “After that, they’ll work with clinical preceptors – that is, experienced practitioners who facilitate the application of theory to practice – from week 6 to week 18, after which they will be prepared to manage patients as a new ED nurse.”
 
Rosin said the journey to implement the program began in early 2022 when ThedaCare leaders began exploring ways to help retain Emergency Department nurses. ThedaCare determined the best approach would be to embrace a new system-wide training program.
 
The ThedaCare Family of Foundations agreed the program directly aligned with the ThedaCare System goals of hiring and retaining the best talent and increasing patients’ access to expert, local care.
 
The initial cohort of nurses to be trained will begin studying in early June 2023, with nurses from Appleton, Neenah, Shawano and Waupaca participating.