News & Information - The Mercury - October 2008 Mercury

by Jeff Crawley
Fort Sam Houston News Leader

A new program for Army nurses who are recent college graduates will help bridge the gap between their academic training and the demands of the clinical environment and prepare them for deployment.

The one-year Army Nurse Residency program begins Oct. 6, with more than 100 newly-commissioned second lieutenants performing residency at nine Army medical centers.

The program is for new graduates with less than six months of acute care nursing experience.

Previously, new Army nurses performed a mixture of orientation and preceptorship, which varied greatly in length between medical facilities.

"The clinical skills are going to be emphasized ... definitely connecting the didactic that they need to know and enhancing their critical thinking skills," said COL Kathy Dunemn, chief of nursing science at the AMEDD Center and School.

Dunemn said she plans for the program to become nationally accredited. It is similar to programs at civilian hospitals.

From the October 2008 Mercury, an Army Medical Department publication.