The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN’s Vision for Academic Nursing, 2019) urges nursing programs and employers to jointly implement transition to practice programs for newly licensed registered nurses (NLRNs) designed for the awarding of academic credits. The awarding of academic credit for completion of a nurse residency program (NRP) concomitantly achieves the Future of Nursing report (2011) recommendations calling for implementation of transition to practice programs and development of educational pathways to support nurses in obtaining advanced degrees.
Methods:
Two projects funded by the Maryland Health Services Cost Review Commission Nurse Support Program II grants (#16-122 & #18-126) examined academic and hospital leaders’ perceptions of the idea and feasibility of awarding academic credit to NLRNs for completing an acute care hospital based NRP. During the first phase of the project, data were collected from an information exchange among statewide academic and hospital-based stakeholders and an IRB-approved online statewide survey. Additionally, the investigators completed a comprehensive literature review examining the fidelity and efficacy of NRPs and contacted national leaders to identify existing academic hospital partnerships offering course credits for NRPs.
Results:
The first grant proposed the creation of academic courses to supplement content taught in the hospital based NRP for the awarding of course credits to NLRNs. However, the investigators quickly learned that the stakeholders preferred awarding of course credits to NLRNs for completing only the requirements of the hospital based NRP, not additional academic coursework. Data from the information exchange, statewide survey, literature review and national search for existing programs, found varying perspectives for the awarding of course credits to NLRNs participating in an NRP. Recognizing the diversity of approaches for the awarding of course credits, diversity of nursing school program curricular requirements, and variability of hospital based NRPs, an Academic Credit for Nurse Residency Program Completion Toolkit was created as a resource for hospital and academic leaders interested in forming an academic-hospital partnership. For academicians, the toolkit includes common NRP curricular content, resources, and program outcomes from the integrative literature review and online survey. Resources for hospital leaders include a description of the course development and approval process, components of a syllabus, and example syllabi from programs offering course credits. The Toolkit was distributed to hospital and academic leaders nationally and is posted online for dissemination.
Conclusion:
A one size fits all approach for the awarding of academic credits to NLRNs for completion of a residency program doesn’t work. Statewide multi-school, multi-practice partnership meetings are underway to develop an innovative framework for nursing programs to award course credits to all acute care hospitals offering an NRP. This presentation will discuss outcomes from the literature review, information exchange and statewide survey, and current level of statewide implementation using the toolkit. Frameworks, and facilitators and challenges associated with the awarding of credits by nursing programs will be examined.