CMH nurse residency program welcomes 14 new nurses

Services Staff
• 31 July 2025

Fourteen new nurses joined Citizens Memorial Hospital’s nurse residency program in June. The program supports new graduates during their first year working as a nurse.

“Moving from being a student nurse to working as a nurse is a big change,” said Christie Kirby, nurse residency program director. “We want these new nurses to be confident nurses who provide the best patient care.”

Investing in new nurses builds a stronger, more resilient workforce. This helps provide safer, higher-quality care for our patients.

The residency program offers mentorship, practical clinical experience and job-focused growth pathways. New graduates build critical thinking, clinical skills and confidence. They achieve this through focused education and support from skilled nurse educators. This prepares them to excel in complex health care settings.

The one-year paid program has four phases, during which the nurses learn:

• CMH policies, procedures and organizational culture.
• The ins and outs of daily work in the graduate nurse’s home department.
• How to be a safe, competent nurse by further developing and mastering nursing skills.
• The importance of continuing professional development and building confidence in a new profession.

“Supporting our new nurses through this comprehensive residency is not just an investment in their success, but in the quality of care provided to every patient we serve,” said Sarah Hanak, chief nursing officer.

Experienced nurses and nurse educators are mentors for the graduate nurses. They guide small groups through their initial clinical experiences. CMH has 10 unit educators in the residency program. Aubrey Wilkinson, RN, is the lead educator.

This summer, the program has a new feature thanks to Bolivar Technical College. Graduate nurses used BTC’s skills and simulation lab for a series of hands-on training events. The BTC lab has realistic mannequins and virtual reality tools. It also includes rooms that look like patient rooms in CMH’s expansion. Even after graduation, new nurses continue to build on their skills in a supportive, familiar setting.

Students use simulation tools to work through different types of scenarios.

“It gives them additional practice using CMH policies and procedures, even if the scenario is similar to something they did in school,” said Erin Mock, director of nursing education at BTC. “That extra practice goes a long way.”

Supporting student nurses

CMH begins helping prepare future nurses through preceptorship and apprenticeship programs during college.

“The goal is to start that transition to practice long before graduation,” Mock said. “We’re working together to support the student’s education and professional development every step of the way.”

In the preceptorship program, BTC pairs nursing students with CMH nurses who act as extensions of the college’s nursing faculty. They offer one-on-one or two-to-one instruction during clinical rotations. Students receive more hands-on practice and individualized feedback than with traditional clinical models.

CMH also has a paid apprenticeship program for student nurses. Eligible nursing students can apply for the apprenticeship in their final semesters. They complete a portion of their clinical hours and work additional shifts at CMH.

Many students who participate in the preceptorship and apprenticeship programs go on to join the CMH Nurse Residency Program after graduation. By that point, they are already familiar with CMH departments, staff and workflows. That experience is paying off.

“It’s a win-win,” Mock said. “Students feel more confident, and CMH benefits from nurses who are already immersed in the organization’s culture.”

The result is a well-rounded, practice-ready nurse with deep ties to CMH.

“I wish I had something like this when I was a new nurse,” Mock said. “We used to send graduates out into the workforce and hope for the best. Now we’re sending them out with experience, mentorship and a whole team behind them.”

New graduate nurses with less than one year of experience qualify for the residency program. Learn more about CMH student nurse experiences or BTC’s nursing program.