Professional Growth & Development
Transition to Practice
New graduate nurses at OSF HealthCare participate in our Transition to Practice Program: The First Year as a Nurse upon hire.
The Transition to Practice Program integrates new Mission Partner orientation, nursing orientation, unit-based orientation, professional development courses, and a mentor program into one comprehensive nurse residency program.
How It Works
New graduate nurses are enrolled in cohorts led by a first-year coach or coaches over a 12-month period.
During the first year, nurses complete an introductory class and three core classes focusing on communication, time management and delegation, and professional development.
Nurses also participate in 10 hours of elective courses that assist the nurse in moving from a “generalist” in nursing to a specialist in the area of nursing they intend to work.
There also are bi-monthly group discussions and a four-hour “Walk in My Shoes” experience where the new nurse completes an observation with a fellow Mission Partner.
Benefits
The Transition to Practice program provides an educational support system where nurses:
- Continue to build practice knowledge
- Strengthen decision-making skills
- Develop clinical leadership skills
- Deepen their understanding of the value of research and evidence-based practice
- Formulate a career plan promoting a lifelong commitment to professional nursing
- Receive emotional support from nursing peers
OSF Advance
At OSF HealthCare, we promote and recognize nursing excellence through our OSF Advance Program.
On-going professional development and growth through this program is an individual choice of the nurse in collaboration with our organization.
Eligibility
The OSF Advance program is open to all nurses, regardless of their FTE, once they complete orientation or their 90-day evaluation, whichever comes first.
How It Works
OSF Advance includes three levels in the Reward and Recognition framework, including Elevate, Achieve, and Conquer.
Attainment of each level occurs through the professional development activities completed by the applicant. Each activity correlates with a number amount, with the total points earned contributing to the successful attainment of the desired level.
Attainment of the desired level is associated with two monetary payouts: one that is to be used for continuing professional development and the other as a cash disbursement for the nurse to use as they desire.
The highest amounts a nurse can earn occur at the Conquer level.
Certification Reimbursement
OSF HealthCare will reimburse nurses up to $300 for one certification exam upon successful pass of the exam and then ongoing recertification.
This benefit supports our goal to promote and recognize nursing excellence through the continuous acquisition of clinical knowledge, professional development and growth of our nurses.