Nurse Residency Program

 

NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR FALL 2024 COHORT

October 28, 2024

The Kootenai Nurse Residency Program is an incredibly supportive program that transitions newly graduated nurses to the hospital setting. The program accepts only the most outstanding and committed applicants. The Nurse Residency is a full-time (36-40 hours/pay period), paid program that prepares new professional nurses with exemplary skills, knowledge, and experience in inpatient areas. 

This is a year-long program that provides an innovative, person-centered support structure for the acquisition of evidence-based practice, standardization of knowledge, and skills to ensure our nurses are confidently prepared, supported, and engaged in their work. Nurse Residents learn through a combination of educational seminars, peer support discussions, simulation, and authentic patient experiences with the support of experienced preceptors/mentors. Kootenai Health is committed to providing Nurse Residents with the teaching, training, mentoring, and expertise needed for a successful career in nursing.

As a Nurse Resident, you will receive:

Socialization and networking support Didactic, targeted teaching, and learning experiences Monthly workshops with social networking and didactic experiences 24-hour access to a robust, interdisciplinary on-site library Three to six months of direct bedside preceptor and leadership support Training in national certification courses that are integral to your specialty practice, such as BLS, ACLS, TNCC, NRP, PALS, and many more Specialty-specific education courses as applicable A professional nursing culture and education environment consistent with the ANCC Magnet designation — the national standard for nursing excellence in the United States. Early leadership opportunities

 

Eligibility to participate in the Nurse Residency Program includes:

Graduate of a nationally accredited Nursing program Less than 6 months of hospital experience required at the time of hire If Behavioral Health, less than 6 months of behavioral health experience required at the time of hire RN with less than 3 years’ patient-facing nursing experience at time of hire are required to be enrolled in a baccalaureate (or higher) degree program in nursing within 1 year of employment, with completion within 3 years of hire  RN with at least 3 years’ patient-facing nursing experience at time of hire, ADN or diploma required; BSN or higher preferred State of Idaho Registered Nurse OR licensure pending as documented by temporary licensure OR current RN licensure from a state participating in the “multistate privilege to practice” compact with Idaho prior to start date. A nursing work gap greater than 12 months from your most recent experience will require successful completion of a Learning Needs Assessment conducted by a KH Nursing Education Specialist ACLS to be provided and completed, if applicable BLS Required.  Current AHA Healthcare provider, American Red Cross, AHA Health Saver or KH BLS during General Orientation

 

Hiring Process:

Submit a standard Kootenai Health Nurse Resident online employment application Complete a Spark Hire video interview. Your application and video will be reviewed by unit managers within one of your preferred units. You will be contacted by a unit manager for an informal interview. Expect clarifying questions on your video interview, information about the unit, and an opportunity to ask questions. Depending on the selection process, you may have a few conversations with different units. If selected for the Nurse Residency program, the Talent Acquisition Consultant will reach out with offer details to include unit placement and compensation.

About Kootenai Health 

Kootenai Health is a highly esteemed healthcare organization serving patients throughout northern Idaho and the Inland Northwest. We have been recognized with many accolades and distinctions, including being a Gallup Great Workplace, No. 1 Best Place to Work in Large Healthcare Organizations, and Magnet™ Status for Nursing Excellence. We pride ourselves on our outstanding reputation as an employer and a healthcare provider. 

As your next employer, we are excited to offer you: 

100% employer-paid health insurance premiums for full-time employees. Part-time employees pay only a small portion a month for medical, dental, and vision coverage. Benefits start 1st of the month following 30 days of employment 

Kootenai Health’s tuition assistance program is available after 90 days. If you want to further your education, we'll help you pay for it 

Kootenai Health sponsors retirement plans for employees that enable you to save money on a pre-tax and Roth after tax basis for your retirement. Kootenai Health will match your contributions based on years of service ranging from 3-6 percent.  

Competitive salaries with night, weekend, and PRN shift differentials 

An award-winning and incentive-driven wellness program. Including a MyHealth corporate team, onsite financial seminars, and coaching  

Employees receive discounts at The Wellness Bar, PEAK Fitness, various cell phone carriers, and more 

Robust and interactive employee referral program 

And much more 

 

 Learn more about our teams:

General Medical (3N) is currently converting specialties from general medical to a primarily cardiac patient population. The patient population will be made up primarily of patients with cardiac diagnosis such as CHF, stabilized arrhythmias, pulmonary embolisms, and chest pain. Most of these patients require telemetry monitoring monitored by a central monitoring studio. Interventions for this patient population typically include echocardiograms, cardiac catheterizations pacemaker placement, Lasix drips, and heparin drips. 3N is currently working to increase their scope of care to include recovery of patients post pacemaker placement and post cardiac catheterization with intervention. Further education consists of a detailed cardiac essentials class and basic cardiac rhythm interpretation class. 3N continues to take medical and surgical overflow patients as needed within scope. 

Nephrology/Circle of Life (1N) the Nephrology population consists of patients with kidney disease (acute and chronic), a history of kidney transplants, significant electrolyte imbalances, fluid shifts and heart/liver failure. Both hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis are common treatments for our Nephrology patient population- both are done on the unit. Circle of Life patients are those who are near or at the end of life and are also cared for within our designated area of the unit. These important work facilitates giving patients the opportunity to be free of pain with family present, and to find comfort in their final moments. Caring for patients at the end of life is an opportunity for rich professional development and personal fulfilment for the nurses who have the privilege to do so.

General Surgical (2S) is a 30 bed medical/surgical unit that specializes in post-operative recovery of patients after the Recovery Room such as general surgical, genitourinary, general cardiothoracic, and general vascular.  Additionally, 2 South cares for patients who may being cared for throughout the surgical care continuum such as pre-operative complications, post-operative complications as well as a variety of medical patients.  Due to the wide variety of patients cared for on 2South, one could also expect to see multiple drains such as chest tubes, JP drains, ostomies, and foley catheters just to name a few.

Orthopedic/Neurosurgical (2E) Patient population consisting of joint replacements, neuro surgeries, traumas, strokes, seizure patients, as well as general medical patients. Kootenai Health's Total Joint Program is a collaborative effort between local participating surgeons and hospital staff. The ​Total Joint Program ensures our patients having hip, knee or shoulder replacement surgery have a safe and successful recovery. Neurosurgery is the specialty focused on surgical treatment of disorders that affect the brain, spinal cord, and cerebrovascular system. Often we work with patients recovering from Craniotomies, Laminectomies, cervical and many other types of surgeries performed by our experienced care team.  Neurology consists of treating disorders of the nervous systems.  We care for patients who are here for strokes, injuries of the brain (Traumatic Brain Injuries), seizure patients who require EEG monitoring, as well as many other diagnoses. 

Nurse Resource Team (NRT) is a float resource department where entry-level nurses and new graduates work in a variety of care areas hospital-wide including but not limited to the medical-surgical departments and behavioral health units. There are varying tiers within the department to advance into. Some nurses in the NRT are trained to work in a specialty area that includes chemical dependency, progressive care, and the emergency department. Other nurses in the NRT train to support the Flex RN role (hospital-wide episodic RN), Specialty Wound Care, and Vascular Access Hybrid roles.  This department requires nurses to be efficient with time management and flexible in working with a variety of teams throughout the various units it supports. Nurses in the NRT participate in caring for a wide variety of patient populations and must maintain a high level of understanding in all specialties they work in.

Oncology/Neurology/Medical (3E) is a 37-bed acute level of care unit with 27 private rooms and 5 semi-private rooms. The unit is comprised of nine bariatric lift rooms, five positive pressure rooms and three negative pressure rooms for specific isolation needs, and two rooms equipped for epilepsy monitoring. The two epilepsy monitoring beds are embedded in the unit, creating the Epilepsy Monitoring Unit (EMU), and are outfitted with special safety and monitor equipment as well as a monitoring suite. 3 East serves a population which includes: Patients seventeen years of age or older, active/acute seizure and/or seizure disorder, acute/history of stroke or stroke like symptoms, oncology/chemotherapy, medical/neuro and medical/surgical overflow. 3 East competencies include stoke care/National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), care of epilepsy monitoring patient (EMU), and oncology/chemotherapy administration.

Adult Behavioral Health (KBH-E) Patients are adults with a range of psychiatric issues, including but not limited to short-term reactions, trauma, and chronic mental illness. You will work with a multidisciplinary team including CNAs, therapists, Mental Health Specialists, and Recreational Therapists. As an RN you will work closely with Nurse Practitioners and Psychiatrists to ensure each patient receives the best medication for their condition and that their plan of care meets their needs for stabilization and growth. You will learn how to effectively use empathy and active listening skills as well as de-escalation techniques. The knowledge you gain from working in Behavioral Health will be a valuable tool for future work with any patient in any setting.

Behavioral Health Youth Acute (KBH-West) Patient population is made up of youth ages 6-17yrs old who are experiencing a psychiatric crisis where they have become a danger to themselves, others, or gravely disabled.  Mental Status assessment, crisis de-escalation, support coping skills education, and medication management are a few of the ways we partner with our patients to create a safe and healing environment to allow for them to make strides in their treatment and recovery plan as they move back out into the community.

Progressive Care Unit  The progressive care unit (PCU) specializes in treating medical and surgical patients whose needs are not serious enough for the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) but too complex for regular med/surg units. Patients are treated for a variety of cardiac and other medical problems including dysrhythmias, myocardial infractions, stroke, organ failure, and patients who have recently begun potent drug regimens that require monitoring. As a staff member of the PCU unit, you operate between the basic level of general care and the highly specialized level of ICU care

Critical Care Unit is a made up of 13 ICU beds and 13 CICU beds. Patients on this unit are typically post –TPA, CRRT, IABT, Impella and immediate post open heart recovery. Our ECMO program uses the Centrimag cardiac assist device with robust training, education and ongoing support with a dedicated ECMO Program Coordinator.

Operating Room Kootenai Health offers a modern, state-of-the-art facility that supports a wide range of surgical specialties. Our facility recently expanded to increase our number of operating rooms to eleven (11) – 2 CVORS, 1 hybrid OR, and 8 general operating rooms. We utilize the da Vinci® System for our robotic program that supports procedures in urology, thoracic, general, and gynecology specialties with two Xi platforms.

Find Your Career At Kootenai Health: https://youtu.be/kpKmWAiIhEg Kootenai Health Nurse Recruitment: https://youtu.be/xGY6m0jEdmA Kootenai Health Nursing - Different Units for Difference Populations: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCXIsNGbG6Q

 

Start your Nursing career at Kootenai Health!  

 

Contact

Email krauch@kh.org or call (208) 625-4048

 

We look forward to getting to know you better!   

 

Kootenai Health complies with applicable federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate based on race, color, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or sex. Kootenai Health does not exclude people or treat them differently because of race, color, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or sex.