Atlanta, Ga. (June 17, 2025) – Piedmont’s nurse residency program has earned accreditation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s (ANCC) Practice Transition Accreditation Program. Based on ANCC evidence-based criteria, this means that the program demonstrates excellence in transitioning nurses to new practice settings.
The ANCC’s rigorous accreditation process lasts 15 months and includes a 500-page self-study. Piedmont’s program is among ANCC’s largest accredited nurse residency programs in the country. The large-scale holistic approach was a direct response and strategic solution to the early departure of new graduate nurses and the necessity of an infrastructure of support to guide nurse residents through the distinct transitional phases of professional growth.
Piedmont’s residency program has emerged as a vital and innovative solution in supporting Piedmont’s nursing workforce strategy. In 2024, 64% of nurses hired within Piedmont were new graduate nurses.
“Implementing a nurse residency program was not just a solution, it was a necessity, said Piedmont Chief Nurse Executive Denise Ray. “New graduate nurses need structured support, mentorship, and competency training to excel in their roles. Having a residency program ensures that we are providing a standard of excellence that sets the foundation for lifelong learning and professional growth. By prioritizing these programs, we are strengthening our workforce, improving patient safety, and fostering a culture of clinical excellence.”
Piedmont’s residency program is designed to provide personalized guidance and development through tenets of the program, which include tailored support that focuses on organizational onboarding and acculturation, competency development and skill acquisition, confidence building, wellness, long-term retention, and professional growth. A hallmark of the program includes resident rescue interventions that provide intensive clinical coaching, shadowing, and adjusted learning strategies for residents who are not progressing successfully.
“Early on, we recognized the need to create not only structured learning experiences, but also flexible support systems to guide residents who struggle to progress,” said Andrea Wilkins Howard, director of Piedmont’s Transition to Practice Nurse Residency Program.
Piedmont uses Casey-Fink surveys to assess the level of residents’ confidence. When the program started, residents reported feeling stress 89 percent of the time. Through these interventions, the program has successfully “rescued” 247 nurse residents from potential turnover, reducing nursing turnover to 8.9 percent in the process. Piedmont also decreased the stress of nursing residents to 49 percent.