Transition to practice programs
These programs support experienced nurses seeking to grow their clinical practice by transitioning into pediatric specialty at Children ’ s Colorado . The transition to practice nurse program featured a cohort model with formalized curriculum and pathways for onboarding and development .
Children ’ s Colorado designed and implemented two transition to practice programs :
• A “ New to NICU ” transition to practice program was already up and running successfully at Colorado Springs Hospital prior to 2023 , led by Erin Havrilla , clinical manager . NICUs at both Colorado Springs Hospital and Anschutz Medical Campus collaborated with Mallory Mueller , clinical education specialist , to implement a pilot of this program at Anschutz beginning in May 2023 .
• Kim Weber Yorga , director of professional development , and Natalie France , clinical education specialist , designed and implemented an “ Adult to Pediatrics ” transition to practice program , with initial implementation in the PICU in July . Laurel More , clinical education specialist , was critical in the “ Transition to Ambulatory ” version of this program for nurses experienced in adult specialty and interested in pediatric ambulatory practice . This program hosted three cohorts in 2023 and is now growing to include other practice areas .
Additionally , the New Graduate Nurse Residency Program was enhanced . This program is open to nurses who have graduated from an accredited nursing program within 12 months before their cohort ’ s start date . It provides an entry point into a meaningful career in pediatric nursing through hands-on training , evidence-based support and education that enables recent graduates to build their skills and launch their careers .
No nurse left behind : Hiring process optimization
Children ’ s Colorado endeavored to increase the efficiency of hiring practices and improve candidate experience by decreasing the time from application submission to job offer . Ellen Sullivan , talent acquisition supervisor , and Nikolas Slothower , clinical manager , in partnership with team members from process improvement , led a team who redesigned the hiring process with the goal that all qualified nurse applicants could find a professional practice home with Children ’ s Colorado .
By leveraging the American Organization for Nurse Leadership Workforce Compendium recommendations , the team prioritized work to streamline our hiring process and decrease the time from application submission to job offer . The new process was implemented in inpatient units at Anschutz Medical Campus in July with the following outcomes :
• Streamlined the hiring process from 42 steps to just eight
• Allowed for a candidate-driven process , including self-scheduling for interviews
• Created dedicated interview times for hiring teams
• Streamlined communication back to talent acquisition specialist , making same-day offers possible
• Improved timing of reference requests
• Candidates were reconnected to talent acquisition to explore other possible opportunities if they were not offered a position
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2023 PCS Annual Report