Dawna Cato, OpusVi’s Director of Nurse Residencies, shares key successes and insights from our collaboration with CommonSpirit Health in developing the Nurse Residency, Preceptor and Mentor Program—empowering nurses and strengthening the workforce.
Despite improvements since COVID-19, nurse turnover and vacancy rates remain high, increasing recruitment costs and impacting patient care. The 2024 NSI National Health Care Retention & RN Staffing Report estimates a $262,500 annual cost per 1% shift in RN turnover. To improve retention and patient outcomes, new nurses need structured training programs that prepare them for real-world challenges.
ECRI named the transition from education to practice as the top safety concern of 2024. Staffing shortages, high turnover, and inadequate mentorship impact patient safety. Structured residency and mentorship programs help new nurses build confidence, improve job satisfaction, and enhance patient care while reducing turnover.
CommonSpirit Health (CSH), one of the largest nonprofit healthcare systems, partnered with OpusVi to create a standardized Nurse Residency, Preceptor, and Mentor Program. This program integrates evidence-based learning, real-time data insights, and hospital Learning Management Systems (LMS) to improve training consistency and retention.
OpusVi’s Impact Dashboard provides CSH leaders with key metrics like nurse retention, learner engagement, early dropout detection, and ROI tracking, enabling data-driven decision-making.
Implementing this program led to significant results:
Over the next five years, CSH will expand training to four additional specialties annually, reaching over 45,000 nurses across 14 states. This investment will drive cost savings, strengthen workforce stability, and reduce reliance on external recruitment.
Innovative residency programs like this are transforming healthcare by reducing turnover, improving morale, and enhancing patient care—creating a stronger foundation for the future.