Through this critical framework, nurses are actively involved in making decisions about their practice, education and research. Key NPG components include shared decision-making, autonomy, accountability and collaboration among healthcare professionals. Bridgeport Hospital’s NPG framework enhances nurse satisfaction by fostering trust, facilitating acceptance of change and promoting commitment to longevity.
Experienced nurses serve as transitional coaches to new nurses to improve onboarding and retention during this critical time. Coaching begins as soon as new nurses complete orientation and usually lasts one year. Coaches provide support from 7 pm to 7 am, seven days a week, serving as resources for newer nurses overwhelmed or faced with questions. Coaches experience a change of pace, going from the clinical shift to being a role model and making a difference in newer nurses’ experiences.
The Vizient/AACN Nurse Residency Program transitions new nurse residents into their clinical roles. It includes an evidence-based curriculum, final project and interactive exercises – all designed to alleviate nurse turnover rates, fortify confidence and decision-making skills, elevate clinical nursing leadership practices, and integrate research-based evidence into daily practice. New graduates gain access to benchmarking data, a dynamic, current curriculum and an opportunity to network with peers nationwide.
Bridgeport Hospital uses the American Organization of Nurse Leaders (AONL) Nurse Manager Fellowship program to provide competency-based learning for nurses seeking the charge nurse, nurse manager, director, and vice president of nursing and chief nursing officer roles.
The Marna P. Borgstrom and Peter N. Herbert Advanced Nursing Scholarships are awarded annually to nurses pursuing clinically focused advanced licenses. Named for Borgstrom, former CEO of Yale New Haven Health, and Dr. Herbert, former Yale New Haven Hospital chief of staff, the scholarships are funded by the late Dr. Milton and Betty Ruth Hollander.
Yale New Haven Health’s SPIRE clinical advancement program recognizes nurses’ leadership and accomplishments through three levels: core (Tier I), explore (Tier II) and soar (Tier III). SPIRE highlights nurses who are leading the transformation of care as direct-care practitioners, scholars, innovators, researchers and educators.
Preceptors are specially trained bedside nurses who use an evidence-based process to onboard newly hired nurses and nurses transitioning to specialty areas. Bridgeport Hospital’s preceptor course teaches essential components of the preceptor role by applying adult learning strategies to facilitate clinical reasoning to precept nurses. Participants learn communication and feedback strategies to provide support, education and skill training to new staff, and how to best implement Yale New Haven Health’s Competency-Based Orientation (CBO) program, ensuring success for new team members.
