Nurse Practitioner Residencies: A Look at Your Options
One of the biggest hurdles you will encounter as a nurse practitioner is your first few months of practice. Moving from clinical hours in your NP program to real-life practice can be quite a shock. The learning curve is steep, and it takes a few months before you begin to feel comfortable working as an NP. A growing trend, completing a nurse practitioner residency, aims to smooth the transition from education to practice.
Nurse practitioner residency was first introduced in 2005. Since then, a few residency opportunities have cropped up across the country. If you are an NP student graduating soon, check out these residency opportunities to facilitate your transition to practice.
Nashville, TN
Similar to a residency, participants in ThriveAP+ not only benefit from the ThriveAP 12-month education program integrated with the workday, they also benefit from the program’s relationships with new grad-friendly clinics nationwide. ThriveAP facilitates the matching process with employers from across the country.
Family Health Center of Worcester
Worcester, MA
In this post-graduate NP residency, participants receive one year of additional skills training as well as an independent mentorship experience in one of FHCW’s community health centers. This intensive clinical program only selects two FNP applicants per year.
The University of Rochester- Highland Family Medicine
Rochester, NY
The 13-month, full time residency program at HFM exposes residents to innovative models of primary care rooted in evidence-based principles of integrated medical and behavioral healthcare. The program places emphasis on team-based care, interprofessional education, and practice efficiency.
San Francisco VA Health Care System
San Francisco, CA
In the San Francisco VA Nurse Practitioner Residency program, FNPs complete the program at one of seven nationwide VA Centers of Excellence in Primary Care Education. The program has required specialty placements which may include options in cardiology, dermatology, pulmonology, palliative care, gastroenterology, infectious disease and many others.
Providence Community Health Centers
Providence, RI
Available to FNPs who are within 24 months of post-graduation, this intensive program includes full time employment with a robust benefits package. Residents also participate in weekly group didactic sessions and may have the opportunity for continued employment after completion of the twelve month program.
Woonsocket, RI
The residency at Thundermist Health Center includes five key components such as precepted continuity clinics, specialty rotations, didactic education sessions, quality improvement training and ongoing multi-input evaluations. Thundermist requires a one-year commitment to employment after program completion.
Philadelphia, PA
The residency at PHMC accepts of two primary care providers and two psychiatric nurse practitioner residents for a full-time employment opportunity, followed by a one year post-residency commitment at one of PHMC’s health centers.
Yakima Valley Farm Workers Clinic
Yakima, WA
The program at Yakima Valley Farm Workers Clinic is specifically intended for FNPs who are committed to providing care at FQHCs and accepts only five providers per year. Applicants must be recent graduates within the past 18 months.
Tucson, AZ
El Rio Health collaborates with Mariposa Community Health Center in Nogales, Arizona and Marana Health Center in Marana, Arizona in order to meet the healthcare needs of the state’s rural population. Candidates must be passionate about community health and have a desire to continue employment with the facilities after completion of their residency. The residency offers a benefits package and loan deferment may be available.
Fargo, ND
The Sanford Health APP Primary Care Fellowship accepts two advanced practice providers (including both PAs and NPs) who are committed to clinical practice in ambulatory primary care. The curriculum includes lectures, journal clubs, simulations, case reviews, specialty rotations and mentored clinical experiences in both internal medicine and family medicine settings.
Tacoma, WA
Over the course of the twelve month residency program, FNPs will complete month-long rotations in high-risk, high-volume, and high-burden areas most commonly encountered in FQHC settings. The core curricular elements of the program include weekly didactic sessions, bi-weekly quality improvement seminars and twice monthly video conferences with PCPs with a multidisciplinary team of pain specialists to improve the management of patients with chronic pain. Participants must also commit to one year of employment with CHC after completion of the program.
Santa Rosa, CA
The Santa Rosa Community Health NP Residency Program is offered in affiliation with Sonoma State University. In order to be eligible, applicants must have completed their FNP program within the last 24 months and must receive their NP certification by the California Board of Registered Nursing within two months of enrollment. Basic Spanish comprehension is also a requirement.
Charlotte, NC
This one-year, post-graduate fellowship program is available to new NP and PA graduates, as well as experienced APPs wishing to change disciplines or career paths. Atrium Health offers start dates in April and October as well as multiple fellowship program tracks including acute care, primary care/urgent care and specialty care.
The FNP residency training program at Holyoke Health provides intensive training in both the clinical complexity of family practice and training to a high performance, patient-centered medical home model for primary care. The residency accepts three FNPs annually and requires a one year employment commitment after program completion.
International Community Health Services
Seattle, WA
The ICHS FNP residency provides a five-part curriculum which includes a ramp up schedule, continual education with weekly didactics and exposure to several clinical specialties. The 13 month program has seven residency positions available and is salaried with benefits.
Peekskill, NY
The residency with HRHCare Community Health incorporates significant rural/migrant health experience and requires a one year employment commitment after successful completion. The program structure includes precepted primary care sessions, specialty rotations, mentored independent sessions in the FQHC setting, didactic sessions and quality improvement training.
Lewis-Clarke Valley, WA
The residency program at CHAS Health includes a small working group and one-on-one time with preceptors caring for patients, as well as many continued learning didactic opportunities including suturing, eye exams, joint injections, anticoagulation therapy and many more.
Sea Mar Community Health Center
Seattle, WA
Sea Mar is committed to high-quality and rigorous post graduate training for its FNP residents. The highly esteemed program emphasizes interdisciplinary medicine and patient-centered, culturally competent care, and also offers residents exposure to medically and socially complex patients.
Boston, MA
Harbor Health’s program is specifically intended for new FNP graduates who are committed to developing careers as PCPs in the challenging setting of community health centers and other safety net settings. A one year employment commitment is required after completion.
North Mississippi Health Services
Tupelo, MS
The residency program at North Mississippi Health Services includes specialty and primary care rotations and generally includes rotations in cardiology, diabetes treatment, pulmonology, infectious disease, behavioral health, chronic pain management, neurology, rheumatology, and many more. In addition, elective clinical experiences are available. Applicants must have completed their FNP programs within the last 18 months in order to be eligible.
Are you interested in a nurse practitioner residency or fellowship? Check out our post, The Ultimate Guide to Nurse Practitioner Residencies.