About the PHN residency for new graduates
Using the Quad Council Practice Competencies for Public Health Nursing (PDF) as a framework, the group noted below developed the PHN residency for new graduates. This residency aims to create a sustainable, highly educated public health nursing work force prepared to promote and protect the health of individuals and communities.
The authors designed the components and protocols to provide intense orientation and increased support for the new graduate nurses in the public health setting. The residency is different than orientation, which provides new employees with basic background information about an agency and its work expectations, and occurs over a shorter period of time. This residency contains several key elements considered best practice for transition to practice, including a 12-month calendar of activities, assigning a preceptor for the resident, case studies, suggestions for general agency orientation, looping, and peer support opportunities.
For more information on how this residency was developed, see Larsen, R., Ashley, J., Ellens, T., Frauendienst, R., Jorgensen, R. K., & Zelenak, M. (2018). Development of a new graduate public health nurse residency program using the core competencies of public health nursing. Public Health Nursing, 35(6), 606–612.
If you're interested in this program as a resident, preceptor, or supervisor, visit: Get started as a resident, preceptor, or supervisor.
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Authors
The group that created this residency was comprised of new graduate public health nurses, experienced public health nurses, and nursing faculty.
Tess (Foster) Ellens, BSN, RN, PHN
Public health nurse, Stearns County Public Health, Minnesota
Mary Zelenak, MSN, RN, PHN
Public health nursing supervisor, Stearns County Public Health, Minnesota; Clinical faculty, College of St. Benedict & St. John's University, Minnesota
Rachelle Larsen, PhD, RN, PHN
Professor of Nursing, College of St. Benedict & St. John's University, Minnesota
Karen Jorgensen-Royce, MSN, RN, PHN
Public health nursing supervisor, Wright County Public Health, Minnesota (retired)
Alexandra Smith, BSN, RN, PHN
Public health nurse, Sherburne County Public Health, Minnesota
Julia Ashley, MSN, RN, PHN
Public health system consultant, Minnesota Department of Health
Acknowledgments
The PHN residency for new graduate nurses arose out of a student project to explore employing new graduate nurses in public health, and is a realization of the resources needed to support new graduate nurses. This project would not have been possible without the leadership and foresight of Renee Frauendienst, who was instrumental in bringing the group together and igniting our passion for the project. As a new graduate nurse, Tess (Foster) Ellens provided valuable insight into case study content and shared her experience as a new public health nurse to enhance the project's relevance. While Renee and Tess moved on to new opportunities, we are very grateful to both; they were essential in this visionary project to transform new graduate PHNs' transition to practice.