A new wave of nurses has arrived at Backus and Windham hospitals thanks to the East Region’s nurse residency program.

Fourteen nurses have officially completed the year-long program and were recognized during a ceremony at Backus on Feb. 24.  All 14 — 10 at Backus and four at Windham — have become full-time staff members after completion of the program. At Backus, the new hires will work on inpatient units; At Windham two will work on Shea and two in the Emergency Department.

“We have such a talented group of nurse residents this year. I’m delighted to welcome them to our staff,” says Cary Trantalis, RN, MSN, East Region Vice President of Operations and Clinical Services. “This unique program is based on a peer/mentoring model allowing residents to work directly with nurses to share experiences, best practice and get real-time feedback.  That’s good news for our patients who can be assured that they are always receiving quality care from highly-trained and experienced nurses.”

The Nurse Residency Program, the only one of its kind in Eastern Connecticut, builds on the newly-licensed nurse’s previous academic knowledge by providing in-depth learning through clinical immersion, simulation training and classroom-style activities.

Resident Nurse David Pfau, RN, said that although his background as a technologist in the Windham Hospital Emergency Department helped him with his training, there are very different responsibilities in nursing.

“It was a little tough to go from being an expert tech to a novice nurse,” Pfau says.

The selection process is very competitive with 80 applicants for this year’s program. The process includes an on-line application and two interviews to identify the applicants “will and skill” for the position. Interviews measure applicant’s emotional readiness, critical thinking abilities and clinical skills. Applicants can chose “tracks of preference” which are identified by the hospitals based on staffing needs.

“The program has been wonderful tool for recruiting qualified nurses to fill needed positions at both hospitals,” says Nurse Educator Melody Zande, RN, who facilitates the program for the East Region.  “On a personal level, it’s so pleasing for me to see our residents’ professional growth during the program.  At the end of the year, they are completely different nurses with increased confidence and comfort levels in their roles.  Such a welcome sight.”

Pfau credits the help of all of the trainers, educators and preceptors involved in the program for making him the nurse he is today.

“You’ve heard the expression ‘it takes a village’. Well, it takes a hospital to make a nurse. Everyone was a huge help,” Pfau says.