On August 28, Partners Home Care honored its first class of graduates from the agency's New Graduate Internship Program, a yearlong intensive education and training program that equipped them with skills to lead successful careers in home care. The graduates, who entered the program as newly licensed nurses with demonstrated maturity and critical thinking abilities, are now working for PHC as full-time nurse case managers. This innovative program charters new territory, both for PHC and the industry, as the home care field has traditionally relied on recruiting nurses who acquired the clinical experience and critical thinking abilities gained in positions in acute care settings. This pilot program was designed to help PHC attract new nurses amidst the nursing shortage and equip them with skills for success.
With the intensive supervision and training behind them, all of the interns are now able to function independently and provide patient care. "They went from being absolute neophytes to a very high level of practice over the course of the year," says Judith Arneson, coordinator of the New Grad Program. "What made it so successful were the six seasoned PHC mentors who provided the interns with stewardship, guidance and education. We all would not have gotten here without them." Due to its success, Judith with join Judy Flynn, vice president of Patient Quality Care, PHC, at a presentation on the New Grad program at the upcoming annual conference of the National Association for Home Care in October.
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