‘An experience worth remembering, memories worth believing in’
Making a difference
June 29, 2023
NEENAH – A new program initiated with the support of the ThedaCare Family of Foundations aims to improve the recruitment and retention of emergency department (ED) nurses at seven ThedaCare hospitals.
“Recruiting and retaining nurses for emergency departments is challenging for every hospital,” Audrey Rosin, manager of emergency services at ThedaCare Regional Medical Center-Neenah, said. “This new Emergency Nurse Residency Program (ENRP) aims to provide the training and experience nurses need to confidently care for the patients coming to the ED.”
The 18-week program, which was developed by the Emergency Nurses Association (ENA), focuses on building decision-making skills, improving clinical judgment, reducing burnout and assisting in acclimation to the ED.
“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 said. “After that, they’ll work with clinical preceptors – that is, experienced practitioners who facilitate the application of theory to practice – from week six to week 18, after which they will be prepared to manage patients as a new ED nurse.”
The initial cohort of nurses to be trained began last month, with nurses from Appleton, Neenah, Shawano and Waupaca participating.
“We understand it will likely take two to three years to fully experience the benefits of this program,” Rosin said. “I’m encouraged. I’ve already noticed our ED nurses with 10 to 12 years of experience engaging with the program. They are excited to be teaching the content to our new nurses, and they’re learning new things, too.”
