The revitalized program enables newly graduated nurses to enter the clinical environment with the skills, confidence and cultural sensitivity to deliver the outstanding care that characterizes a hospital that has earned its Magnet^® designation.

Because the New Graduate Nurse Residency Program reflects both the values of the Salinas Valley Health Medical Center and best practices for nursing, the Education Department decided to apply for accreditation through the American Nurses Credentialing Center Practice Transition Accreditation Program (PTAP). With its very first application, the hospital earned accreditation with distinction, making it one of a select number of organizations throughout the country to earn that honor.

“It validates all the work our team has done to elevate and align our New Graduate Nurse Residency Program with best practices set by the American Nurses Credentialing Center,” says Education Department Manager Stephanie Frizzell, MSN, RN, NPD-BC, CMSRN.

“We are very proud that we’ve developed this amazing, evidence-based program that offers new graduate nurses knowledge development, professional development, skill and competency attainment, and wellness,” says Director of Education Vanessa Irwin-Nieto, DNP, RN, NPD-BC, NE-BC, CNML, CNE, CLC. “It not only supports the successful transition of these nurses, but also promotes their retention.”

A Rigorous Process of Self-Study

Irwin-Nieto and Frizzell say the accreditation reflects a collaborative process that involved administrative leadership, clinical leaders, nurse educators, preceptors and the residents themselves. It required that degree of participation because the application involved writing a self-study narrative around 44 standards across four domains: Program Leadership, Organizational Enculturation, Development and Design, and Practice-Based Learning. Earning distinction meant writing to five additional standards.

After the Education Department submitted the initial application in March 2022, the self-study began, with the department completing and submitting the narratives in August. The PTAP Accreditation Council then reviewed and approved the narrative and scheduled a virtual site visit, which involved bringing in all the stakeholders so they could share their experiences and highlight all the work that has gone into the residency.

A Triumphant Moment

That led to the moment in December when the PTAP Council was ready to announce its decision. The entire team, along with much of Salinas Valley Health leadership, gathered to hear and was able to celebrate a remarkably successful process, one that has generated enormous pride for everyone involved.

“Being PTAP-accredited gives me confidence as an educator that I have the tools and resources to assess the learners’ needs and support them in a successful transition,” says Clinical Nurse Educator Leslie Trapin, BSN, RN, CPAN.

Clinical Nurse Educator Kimberly Stewart, MSN, RN, NPD-BC, CMSRN, adds, “Aligning our content with the core values of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing ensures our new graduate nurses receive an excellent, well-rounded education experience that prepares them to work in the patient care setting as advanced beginner nurses by the end of their orientation.”

“I feel that Salinas Valley Health being a PTAP-accredited facility provides the nurse residents more confidence in their choice starting a career here,” says Preceptor Jessica Blake, BSN, RN. “It shows our nurse residents that we invest in our nurses and strive for excellence.”

Resident Jessica Folk, ADN, RN, agrees. “Completing a new grad residency program that is PTAP-accredited means that Salinas Valley Health has invested a lot of time, money and other resources into supporting new grad nurses as they transition into practice,” she says. “I feel very grateful to have completed such an organized and thoughtfully designed program that allowed me to start my career in nursing with confidence.”

Irwin-Nieto emphasizes, however, that the Education Department will not rest on its laurels and will continue to evolve. “It’s not just that we have to re-accredit every four years,” she says. “We are continually evaluating the program and our outcomes to ensure we have in place the components needed to support the nurse transitioning into practice.”