Clinical vs Residency: What’s the difference?

Many healthcare facilities in Washington, especially acute care hospitals, offer residency programs to newly graduated nurses. A nurse might think, “Why do I need to complete a residency program when I had clinicals in nursing school?”

There are many benefits to completing a clinical residency program. Studies have shown that nurse residency programs increase job satisfaction and clinical judgment, build strong teamwork and communication skills, and decreases error, turnover, and burnout. Residency programs also provide additional education and training in specialty clinical areas like perioperative nursing, intensive care, and emergency nursing.

In a residency program, nurses attend didactic classes and skills labs in addition to caring for patients with a qualified preceptor. It’s important to note that residency nurses care for patients with the authority granted by their own licensure, rather than working under the license of another nurse. Ultimately, the goal of a residency program is to assist newly graduated nurses in their transition to practice and help them acclimate to the culture, expectations, and resources available at their place of employment.