Baptist Health South Florida Partners with Versant Advantage to Combat Nurse Shortage.

Largest Non-Profit Health Organization in South Florida Adopts Versant RN Residency[TM] to Set Performance Benchmark for New Nurses at Six-Hospital System

LOS ANGELES -- Versant Advantage, Inc., developers of the Versant RN Residency, today announced that Baptist Health South Florida has selected Versant's outcome-driven education solution to support their nursing workforce. South Florida's largest non-profit, faith-based healthcare organization has adopted the Versant RN Residency to increase the number of new nurse applicants, bolster the confidence and competence of new nurses, and standardize the delivery of quality patient care throughout Baptist Health.

"Baptist Health is committed to the proactive implementation of strategies that combat the nursing shortage and cultivate a thriving RN workforce," said Deborah Mulvihill, Baptist Health Corporate Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer. "Partnering with Versant helps us provide a proven onboarding program to new graduate nurses preparing for their first clinical jobs in the hospital setting. After reviewing Versant's track record, we determined that their strategy for educating new nurses would enhance our ability to cultivate expert RN staff and ensure standardized nursing practices with the best possible patient outcomes at every Baptist Health hospital."

The first Versant RN Residency cohort got underway at Baptist Health on August 6, with 105 newly graduated nurses. New nurse hires at Baptist Health hospitals will complete the rigorous 18-week program. The residency features support from a network of senior nurses to ensure that the RN residents are well-equipped to deliver quality patient care. Mastery of critical thinking skills, coordination of care, and time management are among the numerous core competencies that must be met as part of the successful completion of the residency.

Previously, each Baptist Health hospital had its own orientation program for training new nurses in specific hospital practices and standards. Versant's standardized curriculum replaces these individual programs.

"Nursing is my second career, so I am grateful for all the extra support I will receive when I walk on the hospital floor as a new registered nurse," said Simone Condell, a recent graduate of Miami Dade College's School of Nursing. "My inspiration for becoming a nurse is to serve my community. Knowing that I am starting my career as a resident not only boosts my confidence, it assures me that I will have the skills to provide safe, quality patient care."

A six-hospital system, Baptist Health South Florida is the largest healthcare organization in the nation to adopt the Versant RN Residency program in adult care. Two Baptist Health hospitals-- Baptist Hospital of Miami and South Miami Hospital--are recognized as Magnet[TM] hospitals by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) for their achievement in nursing excellence. By integrating the residency, every hospital within the Baptist Healthcare system will have access to an evidence-based training process for new nurses, which aligns with the ANCC's Magnet Recognition Program[R].

"Our goal is to ensure that these new nurses are supported by the current nursing staff of Baptist Health hospitals as they ease into patient care," said Yvonne Brookes, R.N., Manager of Clinical Learning/RN Residency for Baptist Health. "To create a culture that will help retain these new nurses, we have spent the last 14 weeks preparing experienced nurses who will be a part of the training and socialization process, including 257 preceptors, 94 managers and clinical educators, 71 mentors and 60 debriefers."

"Our top priority is to successfully onboard new RN graduates," said Charles Krozek, RN, MN, president and managing director of Versant Advantage, Inc. "We've structured the Versant RN Residency such that it de-mystifies the inner workings of the hospital, as well as the day-to-day demands, challenges and tremendous rewards that are part and parcel of the delivery of patient care. We look forward to collaborating with Baptist Health South Florida for the benefit of their patient populations, and the surrounding communities that they serve."

About Baptist Health South Florida

Baptist Health South Florida is the largest faith-based, not-for-profit healthcare organization in the region. Affiliates of Baptist Health include Baptist Hospital of Miami, Baptist Children's Hospital, South Miami Hospital, Homestead Hospital, Mariners Hospital and Doctors Hospital, as well as Baptist Outpatient Services and Baptist Cardiac & Vascular Institute. Both Baptist Hospital of Miami and South Miami Hospital are recognized as Magnet hospitals for nursing excellence by the ANCC.

About Versant Advantage, Inc.

Established by Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, Versant Advantage, Inc. is a non-profit public benefit corporation developed in response to the severe national shortage of experienced nurses. Designed by nurses for nurses, Versant is a leading provider of integrated, evidence-based and Web-facilitated programs that assist hospitals and healthcare organizations with strategically stabilizing their RN workforce while optimizing financial performance. Versant Voyager[TM] is the Web-based application that executes Versant's suite of workforce development applications to track and monitor professional growth. 2500 nursing students from more than 35 hospitals nationwide have graduated from the Versant RN Residency. The Versant RN Residency is currently available at more than 50 leading healthcare facilities nationwide, including Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, All Children's Hospital, John Muir Medical Center, Lucile Packard Children's Hospital, Northridge Hospital Medical Center, Torrance Memorial Medical Center and USC University Hospital. For more information on the Versant RN Residency, please visit: www.versant.org.