Nurse Residency Program

 

NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR OCTOBER 2025 COHORT

Available departments

Med-surg units Behavioral Health – Adult Emergency Services ** application deadline 3/28

Program Overview

The Kootenai Nurse Residency Program is an incredibly supportive program that transitions newly graduated nurses to the hospital setting. The program accepts only the most outstanding and committed applicants. The Nurse Residency is a full-time (36-40 hours/pay period), paid program that prepares new professional nurses with exemplary skills, knowledge, and experience in inpatient areas. 

This is a year-long program that provides an innovative, person-centered support structure for the acquisition of evidence-based practice, standardization of knowledge, and skills to ensure our nurses are confidently prepared, supported, and engaged in their work. Nurse Residents learn through a combination of educational seminars, peer support discussions, simulation, and authentic patient experiences with the support of experienced preceptors/mentors. Kootenai Health is committed to providing Nurse Residents with the teaching, training, mentoring, and expertise needed for a successful career in nursing.

Hiring Process

Begin by submitting your formal application on our website. Next, we’ll reach out by email with a request to complete a one-way interview through Spark Hire. A Talent Acquisition Consultant will connect with you to provide a list of unit descriptions and gather your top five unit preferences. While not every unit may be available in each cohort, we’re committed to helping you find a great fit. After your Spark Hire interview, your application and video will be reviewed by unit managers, starting with your first preferred choice. If you’re not selected for your top choice, don’t worry—your application and video will be forwarded to the next unit on your list. Once reviewed, the Talent Acquisition Consultant will reach out to schedule an interview. For this interview, the unit manager will ask follow up questions to your video interview, provide more insights on unit specifics, and answer any questions you may have. You may have the chance to speak with multiple units to find the best match for you. If selected for the program, the Talent Acquisition Consultant will reach out with the exciting details of your offer, including unit placement and compensation.

 

Things to know

Units will aim to offer residency positions in each cohort; however, availability can vary per cohort. Please note that not every unit will offer positions in every cohort. If your top unit preference isn’t available in the cohort you’re applying to, you’ll automatically be considered for your next choice. If three or more of your top units aren’t available, the Talent Acquisition Consultant will connect with you to discuss the best options moving forward. Specialty units, such as ICU, ED, PCU, Labor and Delivery, Postpartum, and OR, have specific application deadlines. Please review each cohort posting carefully and submit your application early if you’re interested in these unique areas.

 

As a Nurse Resident, you will receive

Socialization and networking support Didactic, targeted teaching, and learning experiences Monthly workshops with social networking and didactic experiences 24-hour access to a robust, interdisciplinary on-site library Three to six months of direct bedside preceptor and leadership support Training in national certification courses that are integral to your specialty practice, such as BLS, ACLS, TNCC, NRP, PALS, and many more Specialty-specific education courses as applicable A professional nursing culture and education environment consistent with the ANCC Magnet designation — the national standard for nursing excellence in the United States. Early leadership opportunities 

 

Eligibility to participate in the Nurse Residency Program includes

Graduate of a nationally accredited nursing program. BSN preferred Less than 12 months of experience as an RN Less than 6 months of hospital experience required at the time of hire If Behavioral Health, less than 6 months of behavioral health experience required at the time of hire RN with less than 3 years’ patient-facing nursing experience at time of hire are required to be enrolled in a baccalaureate (or higher) degree program in nursing within 1 year of employment, with completion within 3 years of hire  RN with at least 3 years’ patient-facing nursing experience at time of hire, ADN or diploma required; BSN or higher preferred State of Idaho Registered Nurse OR licensure pending as documented by temporary licensure OR current RN licensure from a state participating in the “multistate privilege to practice” compact with Idaho prior to start date. A nursing work gap greater than 12 months from your most recent experience will require successful completion of a Learning Needs Assessment conducted by a KH Nursing Education Specialist ACLS to be provided and completed, if applicable BLS Required.  Current AHA Healthcare provider, American Red Cross, AHA Health Saver or KH BLS during General Orientation 

Learn more about our teams

Cardiac Medical (3N) is a cardiology focused medical surgical unit. The population is primarily made up of patients with the following diagnosis: CHF, bradycardic and tachycardic arrhythmias, chest pain, NSTEMI, and pulmonary embolism. Many of these patients require continuous telemetry monitoring which is monitored by a central monitoring studio. Interventions typically seen for this patient population include echocardiograms, stress tests, cardiac catheterizations, pacemaker placement, heparin drips and antiarrhythmic medications. The cardiac medical unit does not care for patients requiring continuous antiarrhythmic drips or vasopressors. Further education consists of a basic cardiac rhythm interpretation class. 3N continues to take medical and surgical overflow patients as needed within scope.

Nephrology/Circle of Life (1N) the Nephrology population consists of patients with kidney disease (acute and chronic), a history of kidney transplants, significant electrolyte imbalances, fluid shifts and heart/liver failure. Both hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis are common treatments for our Nephrology patient population- both are done on the unit. Circle of Life patients are those who are near or at the end of life and are also cared for within our designated area of the unit. These important work facilitates giving patients the opportunity to be free of pain with family present, and to find comfort in their final moments. Caring for patients at the end of life is an opportunity for rich professional development and personal fulfillment for the nurses who have the privilege to do so.

General Surgical (2S) is a 30 bed medical/surgical unit that specializes in post-operative recovery of patients after the Recovery Room such as general surgical, genitourinary, general cardiothoracic, and general vascular.  Additionally, 2 South cares for patients who may being cared for throughout the surgical care continuum such as pre-operative complications, post-operative complications as well as a variety of medical patients.  Due to the wide variety of patients cared for on 2South, one could also expect to see multiple drains such as chest tubes, JP drains, ostomies, and foley catheters just to name a few.

Orthopedic/Neurosurgical (2E) Patient population consisting of our specialties in orthopedics, neuro surgeries, and traumas, as well as general medical/surgical patients. The unit does have remote telemetry monitoring if it is required. Our orthopedic patients are often treated for injuries of the bones and occasional elective joint surgeries. Neurosurgery is the specialty focused on surgical treatment of disorders that affect the brain, spinal cord, and cerebrovascular system. Often, we work with patients recovering from Craniotomies, Laminectomies and many other types of surgeries performed by our experienced care teams which is currently expanding. Our Trauma team treats everything from minor injuries including lacerations to fractures, to major complicated trauma involving multiple body systems. We have a heavy focus on getting our patients mobilized and back on their feet. 2 East has a culture of collaboration and teamwork.

Nurse Resource Team (NRT) is a float pool department where new graduates or nurse residents work in a variety of hospital wide service lines/care areas. The entry level float cluster includes the 5 medical-surgical departments, behavioral health your and adult units, and the Addiction Recovery unit. There are advanced float cluster tiers to advance into. Following completion of additional competencies and training some NRT support higher acute care areas including the Progressive Care unit, Emergency Department, and Critical Care. This department requires nurses to be efficient with time management and flexible in working with a variety of teams throughout the various service lines it supports. Nurses in the NRT participate in caring for a wide variety of patient populations and acuity’s and must maintain competency and a high level of understanding in all specialties they work in.

Oncology/Neurology/Medical (3E) is a 37-bed acute care unit, Level 3 Epilepsy Center accredited by the National Association of Epilepsy Centers, and a Level 2 Stroke Center designated by The Idaho Time Sensitive Emergency Council. The unit is comprised of 9 bariatric life rooms, 5 positive pressure rooms, 3 negative pressure rooms, and 2 rooms equipped for epilepsy monitoring. Serving an adult population which includes active/acute seizure and/or seizure disorder, acute/history of stroke or stroke like symptoms, oncology/chemotherapy, Circle of Life, medical/neuro, and medical/surgical overflow. 3 East competencies include Stroke Care/National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), Epilepsy Monitoring (EMU), and Oncology/Chemotherapy administration. The unit culture is based on the Kootenai Health Way incorporating safety, compassion, engagement and the compassion care bundle. The goal of 3 East is to create a positive compassionate experiences for the patients, guests, and staff.

Adult Behavioral Health (KBH-East) patients are adults with a range of psychiatric issues, from short-term reactions to trauma to chronic mental illness. You will work with a multidisciplinary team including CNAs, therapists, Mental Health Specialists, and Recreational therapists. As an RN you will work closely with Nurse Practitioners and Psychiatrists to ensure each patient receives the best medication for their condition and that their plan of care meets their needs for stabilization and growth. You will learn how to effectively use empathy and active listening skills as well as de-escalation techniques. The knowledge you gain from working in Behavioral Health will be a valuable tool for future work with any patient in any setting.

Emergency Department (ED) As an RN in the Emergency Department, you will work together with the care team to provide emergency care to our community. Emergency Department RNs are scheduled for either an 8 hour or 12 hour shift and the patient ratio is typically 4:1. Since Kootenai Health is a regional referral center, our Emergency Department is one of the busiest in the state of Idaho. Despite being one of the busiest Emergency Departments, we work hard to keep the wait times low. Kootenai Health’s Emergency Department is designated a STEMI center, a Stroke center, and a level 2 Trauma center. If emergency medicine is your passion, please consider applying for our team.

Start your Nursing career at Kootenai Health!  

 

Contact

Email krauch@kh.org or call (208) 625-4048

 

We look forward to getting to know you better!   

 

Kootenai Health complies with applicable federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate based on race, color, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or sex. Kootenai Health does not exclude people or treat them differently because of race, color, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or sex.