CU Nursing - Spring/Summer 2022 - 16

16
COL L EG E
Post-Baccalaureate
Registered Nurse
Residency
HELPING NEW NURSING GRADS MAKE THE
TRANSITION FROM STUDENT TO NURSE By Dana Brandorff
F
ear. Trepidation. Excitement. All are natural
emotions that nursing students face upon graduation.
Doubting their readiness, many students
ask themselves, " How am I ever going to be able
to take on five patients at a time? "
Questioning one's abilities happens to all of us and is a
form of impostor syndrome, which is loosely defined as
" doubting your abilities, skills, talents, or accomplishments
and feeling like a fraud. " It is natural. Especially when faced
with the prospect of " flying solo. "
HOW RESIDENCIES MAKE THE TRANSITION
FROM STUDENT TO NURSE EASIER
" It's scary to graduate from a nursing program and feel you
should know everything on day one, " says Allison Boyrer,
MS, MA, BSN, RN who is a CU Nursing alumna (Veteran &
Military Healthcare Program MS'17) and Manager of the
Post-Baccalaureate Registered Nurse Program (PBRNR).
" The recent pandemic restricted many students from
practicing in actual clinics. So, a residency program that
provides more protected, mentored time with real-life experiences
is extremely valuable. Especially now, " says Boyrer.
PBRNR is a program that makes it easier for new grads to
transition into the workforce and feel confident in their abilities.
Conceived and run by the Office of Academic Affiliations
within the US Department of Veterans Affairs, VA Eastern
Colorado Health Care Systems' program is one of 49 throughout
the country, whose goal is to " ensure supervised transition
of the graduate nurses to autonomous and competent
clinical practice within the veteran-centric setting to care
for our veterans nationally. " This comprehensive one-year
paid training program provides a novice nurse with guided
experiences and continuous development under the watchful
eye of experienced nurses who precept them.
BRIDGING THE GAP
According to Boyrer, " PBRNR can be that bridge for a new
graduate as they transition to practice and help them
become competent and confident nurses, to better care
for veteran patients. "
Alexis
Ricamonte
is currently a
nurse resident
in the PBRNR
program.
The program recruits new graduate nurses seeking
lifelong learning and the pursuit of nursing leadership
while providing excellent and compassionate care to
our nation's heroes, veterans. After passing the NCLEX,
the recent graduates begin the program. The program
includes monthly didactic sessions, mentoring, and a
variety of experiential experiences. Then the residents
transition to practice with preceptors who evaluate them
and their skills and tailor the learning experiences to
increase their skills and skill confidence.
CU Nursing alumna and Clinical Scholar Audrey Montoya
(BS '10) takes student groups and is involved in the
CU College of Nursing | Spring/Summer 2022
CU Nursing - Spring/Summer 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of CU Nursing - Spring/Summer 2022
