Our Designated RN Residency Programs

In the spring of 2022, Loma Linda University Medical Center and Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital initiated their journey to attain the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Practice Transition Accreditation Program (PTAP) designation for their RN Residency programs. This is an important designation as we grow our new graduate RN residency programs. PTAP sets the global standard for residency or fellowship programs that transition registered nurses (RNs) into new practice settings.

PTAP designation allows hospitals to highlight their residency structure and processes that have resulted in a robust, comprehensive program for nurses’ transitions into the practice arena. Today, this is even more important in our current healthcare environment. Nurses, during their transition into their practice environment, need time to develop critical thinking skills and clinical expertise that will enable them to successfully navigate the dynamic healthcare environment ensuring a safe, positive work environment.

The designation process for PTAP uses an evidence-based criterion, includes a peer review process, and integrates national competencies. Organizations on this journey must show how their nurse residency program is more than a basic orientation, they provide evidence that they have an accredited nurse transition program that meets six essential elements. These elements include strong leadership, organizational enculturation, a well-designed and developed curriculum, inclusion of an evidence-based, practice-based learning, quality outcomes and the expectation of lifelong learning through nursing professional development.

Additionally, PTAP allows us to engage nurses and enculturate them into our Magnet organization’s practices and values beginning on day one. It ensures that from the moment they begin working for our hospital, they know how to be a Loma Linda University Health nurse. They see that we promote nursing excellence and quality patient outcomes while providing safe, positive work environments.

The process began with the completion of the PTAP application form and self-study package, which was submitted on Wednesday, August 3, 2022, for both LLU Medical Center and LLU Children’s Hospital. The next step was virtual site visits with an appraiser to clarify and verify the findings in the self-study package and any additional documentation that was provided. These site visits occurred on Tuesday, September 13, for the Children’s Hospital, and Friday, September 16, for the Medical Center. The virtual site visits for both the Children’s Hospital and the Medical Center were a success. On Monday, October 24, 2022, the Adult and Children’s RN Residency Programs received accreditation as a Practice Transition Program by the ANCC’s Commission on Accreditation in Practice Transition for four years with no provisions.