New Graduate Nurse Residency Fall 2026

About the role

The Vizient/American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) Nurse Residency Program at Holy Cross assists new graduates entering the workforce transition safely and successfully into the role of a professional nurse. As a result of participating in the program, the new graduate nurse will:

• Transition from advanced beginner toward competent professional nurse in the clinical environment
• Develop effective decision-making skills related to clinical judgment and performance
• Develop autonomy at the point of care
• Strengthen commitment to nursing as a professional career choice
• Formulate an individual development plan as related to their new clinical role
• Incorporate research-based evidence linked to outcomes into practice

Positions are located in the following areas: Observation Unit, Med/Surgical Telemetry, Med/Surg Orthopedics, Stepdown Neuro Cardiac IMC (NC-IMC), Stepdown Intermediate Care Unit (IMC), Stepdown Cardio Vascular IMC (CVIMC), and Intensive Rehab Unit (IRU).

Mandatory Qualifications

• New graduate of an accredited (ACEN/CCNE) Associate or Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing Program or Master's entry into practice program with less than 6 months of acute care experience; Bachelor's degree highly preferred
• A GPA of 3.0 or greater must be indicated on resume in order to be considered
• Must have already graduated between September 2025 – September 2026
• Florida RN licensure prior to hire (must have already passed NCLEX and/or scheduled NCLEX)
• BLS through the American Heart Association
• Less than 6 months of acute care experience
• Two letters of reference (must present as part of the prescreening process): Clinical Instructor and Professor
• Official Transcript (must present an unofficial transcript as part of the prescreening process if official one is not available)
• Willingness to commit to the one year necessary to complete the Residency Program plus one additional year of full-time, continuous employment at Holy Cross Hospital; must sign a 24-month promissory agreement
• Willingness to attend monthly 4-hour seminars for the duration of one year
• Willingness to adhere to all institutional guidelines as a member of the professional nursing staff
• Willingness to develop and utilize mentor relationships
• Willingness to participate actively in learning experiences, including an evidence-based practice project that will be presented to nursing leadership at the conclusion of the program

Preferred Qualifications

• Participation in Holy Cross Hospital Clinical Rotation
• Recommendation from Holy Cross Hospital Advanced Practice Nurse
• LPN, PCT and/or Clinical Volunteer Experience
• Member of student nurse association and/or Sigma Theta Tau

Key Curricular Threads

• Critical thinking
• Patient safety – minimizing risk
• Leadership
• Communication
• Research-based practice
• Professional development