BEGIN (Bridge to Experience for Graduates in Nursing) is designed to assist new graduate nurses in their transition from student to professional nurse.
Potomac's BEGIN program includes a three to six month unit preceptorship and eight hours of classroom study once a week for four weeks. The program aimed at building skills and self confidence in the novice nurse as well as providing a non-threatening atmosphere of welcome and learning.
Nursing educators, as well as other hospital personnel, provide the classroom portion of the BEGIN program, which emphasizes hands-on learning and interactive discussion.
New graduates in the BEGIN program learn:
- Medication safety
- Physical assessment skills
- Lab values and their significance
- IV therapy/hands-on skills practice
- Accessing mediports, lab draws, care of central lines
- Code prep/mock code scenarios
- Basic rhythm recognition
- Code cart exploration and scavenger hunt
- Community resources
- The art of delegation
- Hands-on skills lab
- Patient safety
- Patient education resources
- Critical thinking exercises
- Team building
- Stress management
- Evidence-based nursing practice
- Collaborative role playing
For more information about the BEGIN program please contact the Nursing Education Department at (703) 730-4376 or joanne.brown@potomachospital.com
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