Postpartum RN Sandy joined Swedish First Hill in Seattle six years ago as an RN Resident—and now her role has come full circle as a preceptor in the RN Residency Program. Sandy says, “We give the new residents insight into what it’s like day-to-day and we go through all the policy and procedures, to make sure that they have a solid foundation for a successful nursing career.” Just like Sandy received support when she started at Providence Swedish, she now imparts that same guidance to new residents in the program.

A caring residency experience at Providence Swedish

As she finished her residency, Sandy says she was welcomed by the whole team and found a supportive culture waiting for her. “It’s a great place to work,” she says. “I’ve heard people at different hospitals joke about not taking care of new nurses. But I feel like we really try to teach our new nurses, and we try to make them feel as welcome as possible.”

With the help of caring leaders, Sandy and her team begin each day with morning huddles where everyone gets the information they need and can ask questions or get clarification. This is just one way new nurses can feel ready to do their best work on a daily basis.

Sandy says Resident RNs and new nurses have support from an entire team of clinicians and providers across the spectrum of care. “The doctors, the lactation consultants and discharge coordinators, and other postpartum nurses, help ensure that we deliver comprehensive care for our patients during the hospital stay and beyond.”

Two ways Sandy avoids nurse burnout

Nursing can be stressful, especially when you’re just starting out. One way Sandy says her unit helps offset that stress is with self-scheduling, where they get to choose the days they want to work as long as they fulfill pre-determined criteria. “Self-scheduling really helped me prevent burnout. I am able to do a lot of the things that I enjoy, such as biking, hiking and snowboarding in the winter. It really helps with work-life balance.” Sandy, who opts for 12-hour shifts, says her time at work goes by quickly, split between helping families bond with their newborns and helping new nurses launch their careers.

Another way Sandy helps prevent burnout for herself and others is by fostering a friendly, cooperative atmosphere. “My coworkers are amazing,” she says. “We really enjoy working with each other and always help each other out. We’re all focused on patient-centered care and patient safety.” This is the experience Sandy hopes to relay to new nurses starting in their careers.

Join our team as an RN Resident

Interested in becoming an RN Resident with us? Our RN Residency Program provides you with everything you need to transition from school to the hospital floor. We offer a wide range of learning tracks with integrated classroom, simulation and clinical experiences under the guidance and support of preceptors.

Great benefits start the same day you do, and relocation assistance is offered to RN Residents living outside of Washington State. Applications are accepted prior to receiving your RN license. Learn more here.

Interested in joining our team? View all nursing roles.