LA GRANDE — Nationally, the nursing profession faces a critical challenge, with headlines spotlighting a mass exodus of approximately 100,000 registered nurses within the next two years due to stress, burnout, and retirement.

The urgency of this issue cannot be underestimated, as statistics from the National Council of State Boards of Nursing suggest more than a half-million nurses may leave the profession by 2027.


Addressing this challenge, Grande Ronde Hospital and Clinics (GRH), working with the OHSU School of Nursing at Eastern Oregon University, implemented our Nurse Residency Program in 2019 with a unique curriculum combining classroom instruction and hands-on clinical experience. This program equips newly minted nurses with enhanced clinical judgment, communication skills, and evidence-based practices. Furthermore, it boosts job satisfaction, reduces errors, and curbs nurse turnover; playing a crucial role in tackling staffing shortages.

Assistant Chief Nursing Officer Nate Wadsworth at GRH reinforces the program’s role in the hospital’s growth and stability of the core of nurses.


“As a leader, I am so grateful for the Nurse Residency program we established here at GRH. Many amazing GRH nurses have begun their careers here as residents. A tremendous amount of effort and energy has gone into having it be what it is, and we are always changing and tweaking it to fit our needs. I feel that the Nurse Residency Program is vital to our core of nurses’ continued growth and stability,” stated Wadsworth.


GRH’s Nurse Residency Program affords the new RN a unique and wide-range experience within the hospital system, as rural healthcare is quite varied. This experience cultivates well-rounded nurses who contribute significantly to community care. The individualized approach bridges academic learning with real-world practice, producing confident nursing professionals adept at serving patients throughout life’s phases.


Chelsea Cassens, RN, and Nurse Residency Educator, notes how these extended skills directly translate to increased value for local communities. Plans for the upcoming year will provide experience to Nurse Residents in GRH’s Family Birthing Center, Med-Surg, and Home Health Departments; caring for patients of all ages from the surrounding communities GRH serves.

Alexia Siders, RN and Nurse Residency Program graduate underscores the program’s value in providing exposure that wouldn’t be accessible otherwise.


“I think we are fortunate to be able to learn to care for all types of diagnoses here at GRH. It’s a great experience,” Siders said.


Joshua Ebel, RN and program graduate, echoes Siders’ sentiment. He recognizes how the program has elevated his capabilities across diverse care scenarios and the consistent use of teamwork and clinical judgment within a rural healthcare system.


 “The curriculum for the residency program was flexible and tailored to the needs of the residents. This individualized and comprehensive program was excellent and unique to the GRH experience,” Ebel said.


The journey of a nurse resident begins with immediate integration into the GRH family; regular interactions with preceptors, providers, and professionals across various departments create a robust network of support.


Provider involvement facilitates seamless communication between nurses and medical staff, fostering a collaborative spirit. There are few computer modules and no use of packaged residency programs. It’s relational, comprehensive, and highly varied.


The Preceptor Training Program, led by Shelby Humphry, RN, trains and supports preceptors and ensures that adept mentors steer development, nurturing clinical judgment and problem-solving abilities. It is an assignment Humphry has taken to heart.


“In my preceptor training course,” Humphry shared, “I ask every preceptor, ‘What do you want to teach to the person that may one day care for your loved one?'”


Cassens highlighted GRH Nurse Residency’s role in nurse resilience, “At some point, you will experience burnout. Normalized feedback and open sharing provide the security of a bonded cohort. We work the bedside together. We know the patients they are caring for. We are simultaneously providing mentorship and peer-to-peer support.”


Ebel noted focused discussions on Nurse Resiliency techniques, including self-care expectations and issue-resolution strategies, were specific topics of discussion in several contexts throughout the residency program.  


Siders shared, “Nursing is a rewarding profession, but often difficult. Sitting in class and debriefing with other residents each month was so nice. I think the support of our group increased our resiliency in our first year of nursing.”

Discover how GRH recruits, trains and supports our nurses in our next issue of the GRH Life & Health newsletter in your mailbox on Dec. 5.