At Swedish, we take pride in the growth of our nurses, and that starts in our RN Residency and Fellowship Program. Since 2012, nearly 3,000 nurses have launched a new journey through the Swedish RN Residency and Fellowship Program, and we’re still growing.

How the Swedish RN Residency and Fellowship program works

Through the program, we create opportunities for brand-new nurses (and those learning a new specialty) to develop competence and confidence from the first day they join our team. It starts with orientation, which includes a variety of activities to supplement and enhance the knowledge and skills being applied on the unit with an experienced nurse preceptor.

Our program participants meet with nurse educators in the classroom setting to get hands-on practice with patient-care equipment and to review complex concepts that are specific to the specialty area they’ve chosen. In our high-fidelity simulation center, we offer an immersive experience designed to foster clinical judgment so that our nurses feel prepared to respond effectively to urgent patient care scenarios.

Our team of highly qualified educators works with each individual to guide progress and facilitate learning opportunities both on and off the unit throughout the orientation period. After the first 12-20 weeks (depending on specialty), the new nurse is well-prepared to care for patients independently, but we continue supporting our new grad nurses through the end of their first year of practice with additional events to solidify key elements. 

Graduates of our Residency & Fellowship Program demonstrate our values every day as they care for patients and continue to grow professionally into expert nurses, preceptors, charge nurses, managers, educators and more.

The need for high-quality programs for new and new-to-specialty nurses

Across the country, nursing shortages are expected to grow in the next few years, and as patient needs evolve, we’re continually evaluating our program to ensure that our new nurses get the maximum level of support we can provide in the ever-changing circumstances.

According to American Nurses Association, “By 2022, there will be far more registered nurse jobs available than any other profession, at more than 100,000 per year. With more than 500,000 seasoned RNs anticipated to retire by 2022, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects the need for 1.1 million new RNs for expansion and replacement of retirees, and to avoid a nursing shortage.”

One Swedish RN’s experience in the program

“I had a really good experience with the Swedish Fellowship Program. Both the hands-on and classroom experiences were helpful because they went into great detail about my specialty. The on-unit program is half day and half night shifts so you can experience both. Swedish really tries to expose cohorts to different experiences, which was really helpful.” – Sohyun, RN, Neuroscience and Epilepsy, Swedish Cherry Hill

Read more about the Swedish RN Residency and Fellowship program and apply for the next cohort here.