Any new graduate nurse who meets the following criteria:
• is either in their last semester of nursing school or;
• is someone who has graduated from an accredited nursing program within the last 18 months and/or has worked 6 months or less as a registered nurse;
• is someone who will be licensed in the State of Florida as a Registered Nurse by no later than (7) business days before their official date of hire;
• has an active BLS certification.

Yes, new nurse graduates are hired as a Registered Nurse I then will advance to a Registered Nurse II upon completion of the (1) year Program.

• New graduates are hired to work in either a specific nursing unit or practice area.
• Candidates have the option to apply for 3 different practice areas of interest.  Click Here to review the various opportunities.

The Nurse Residency Program is one year in length. This includes clinical orientation to the unit hired as well as a series of monthly seminars and hands-on practice in our centralized simulation center.

We try to place nurse residents in an area that interests them, though it cannot always be guaranteed therefore you may be offered a unit which has the need and remains unfilled at the end of the overall interview process.

The interview will be conducted in person or virtually with Nursing Leader(s) and/or panel representing a practice area.

Each department will determine how many positions will be filled through the residency program for each Clinical Orientation Track prior to applicant screening.

Yes, nurse residents are paid and are eligible for benefits. View our benefits page for additional information on benefits of working at Memorial Healthcare System.

All hours worked during the residency are paid at your regular RN rate. There is no change in the beginning salary for new graduates and there is no pay adjustment upon completion of the program. At the end of the first year you will receive your annual evaluation at which time you will be eligible for a pay increase per the performance evaluation guidelines.

Inpatient nurse residents receive a shift and/or weekend differential as appropriate.

You may interview and be offered a position contingent upon passing the NCLEX.

• However, you must have an active RN license by no later than seven business days prior to your start date.

Candidates unable to obtain their license by their start date may be allowed to rollover into the next Cohort, on a case-by-case basis.

• Otherwise, the Candidate will be required to re-apply to the next Cohort offered.

ASN required for enrollment into the program. BSN preferred for specialty areas.

When you begin employment you complete a number of orientation and classroom requirements which may have varying schedules. When you begin the unit orientation you will work the same hours as your Preceptor. Once orientation to the unit is completed, you will move to the regularly scheduled pattern of shifts for your position, most likely nightshift. Each unit has weekend and holiday requirements. Time dedicated to Residency Program activities will be incorporated into your work/class schedules.

The Nurse Residency Program requires mandatory attendance to monthly seminars during the (1) year program. In addition to the program, the first 4 months of employment includes a rigorous orientation schedule (will vary depending on area of practice). It is strongly advised to not make plans until date of hire. However, accommodations will be addressed on a case-by-case basis.

Yes, all new nurse graduates will be required to enroll into the Nurse Residency Program.

No. The Nurse Residency Program complements and supplements the traditional orientation process by focusing on development of critical thinking skills and professional development. All new nurse graduates will complete the traditional orientation process which has a combination of classroom, online, simulation and clinical practice experiences specific to their practice area. The orientation will take place on the clinical unit for which the nurse is hired.

• The Nurse Residency Program Coordinators, Clinical Nurse Educators as well as Preceptors are part of your support system.
• Each clinical area has advanced nursing education and experience with transitioning new nurse graduates from direct observation to independent clinical nursing practice in the clinical specialty areas they support.

Nurse Residents must be employed by Memorial Healthcare System on a full time basis for a minimum period of two (2) continuous years effective upon the start of the program. Nurse Residents must remain in their assigned unit until cleared for graduation. Upon completion/graduation from the program, Residents will transition to the job title of RN II at which point they are eligible to apply for department transfer and/or enrollment into the RN Fellowship Program.

Nurse Residency Program Training Agreement:

• All new nurse graduates are required to sign a 2-year full-time agreement prior to enrollment into the Nurse Residency Program.
• This agreement is applicable to the facility and unit where the Nurse Resident will be hired.
• This commitment carries a $5,000.00 financial penalty payable upon non-completion of the two-year agreement.

Specialty Course Training Agreements:

• Nurse Residents hired directly into certain specialty areas (i.e., Critical/Intermediate Care, Surgical Services, Labor/Delivery, Emergency Department, and Oncology) may be required to sign a separate specialty course training agreement depending on that unit’s onboarding requirements.
• These agreements require a separate 2-year full-time commitment specific to the Resident’s assigned unit.
• This commitment carries an additional financial penalty payable upon non-completion of the two-year agreement.

Both agreements run concurrently, and financial penalties are not pro-rated.

The application itself is the standard online application, however additional documentation will be required to complete the application process. Please refer to the Application Process for additional information.

The Nurse Residency Program requires attendance to a monthly mandatory seminar, a rigorous unit based orientation schedule, and regularly scheduled weekly shifts. We strongly advise you to consider the time commitment that the residency program requires as well as the time commitment pursuing an advanced degree requires.