Professional Practice

Many Nurse Residency Projects Impacted Patient Care

The University of Chicago Medical Center provides a residency opportunity to recent graduates of their bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) program. The residency lasts for one year, during which nurses participate in monthly workshops about nursing-related topics such as evidence-based practice, death and dying, stress management and ethics. The program has a strong focus in transitioning new nurses to professional nursing practice, using a theoretical framework that involves the change from novice to expert. As part of the program, many nurses work as a team to prepare an evidence-based project. Below is a comprehensive list of the nurse residency evidence-based projects presented in fiscal year 2010:

Proper Hand Hygiene Technique: presented by nurse residents on 6SW, 6NE and 3SE
Falls Prevention: presented by nurse residents on 5NW
Improving Pediatric Pain Management: presented by nurse residents in Comer
Falls Prevention: presented by Nurse Residents on 6NE
Prevention of Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia in ICU patients: presented by extra nurse residents on D2, D3 and D4
Neutropenic Fever Precautions Education Tool: presented by  nurse residents from 6NW
Pain Assessment in Younger Children Using the Wong Scale: presented by nurse residents from Comer 5, 6 and the PICU
Team Turning; Pressure Ulcer Prevention: presented by nurse residents on 4NW, 5NW, 5NE and 3SE