It is with great honor and pleasure to announce that the Kalispell Regional Healthcare (KRH) Nurse Residency Program has been awarded Accreditation with Distinction by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s (ANCC) Practice Transition Accreditation Program, the highest recognition awarded by the ANCC’s Accreditation Program. KRH is the first Healthcare System in the state of Montana to be awarded this distinction and one of less than 50 ANCC accredited programs in the United States. This designation will help to recruit and retain high caliber nurses at KRH and validates that the program meets all national standards and criteria necessary to transition newly licensed nurses into practice. The appraiser team commended the Program on its robustness, especially considering the small size of the hospital with limited resources.

“This process has been a lot of work and a true pleasure to be a part of. It takes a village to create a successful environment for our nurses transitioning into the profession, and I am proud to see that we are heading in the right direction. Collaboration is key and I can’t speak highly enough of the good work and support from our Executive Leadership Team, Nursing Directors/ Managers, Expert Clinical Nursing Staff, Clinical Educators, Preceptors, Interdisciplinary Teams, Human Resource Partners, and Academic Partners. We look forward to continuing to grow and refine our program in the upcoming years.” 

– Mandy Pokorny, Residency Coordinator

A very big CONGRATULATIONS to Mandy and the invaluable KRH team members that played such a critical role in this successful accomplishment of achieving ANCC accreditation with distinction. As guardians of this amazing organization, living our core values to improve health, comfort and life; we continue to strive for excellence every day, in every way.

Click here to learn more about the ANCC’s PTAP Program and why finding an accredited Nurse Residency Program is an important consideration when looking for your first job.

Tell us a little about yourself

I was born and raised in Fairfield, MT and I received my BSN at Carroll College. Go Saints!

Why did you decide to apply for the program?

I really loved the idea of nurse residency programs, and the additional support for that comes with them. I listened to Mandy (the director of the residency program for KRH) speak at a Transition to Practice conference my senior year of nursing school, and I knew this was a program I could see myself in. I wanted to stay in Montana, and I have family in the valley, so it was a perfect fit!

What have you liked so far about being at KRH?

Everyone has been so welcoming and encouraging! The nurses and other staff members love to teach and share their knowledge. They genuinely want to see us learn and succeed. I’ve been told that nursing is a team sport, and that is definitely the case here. There are a lot of moving parts that come together to care for our patients in the best way we possibly can.

What do you look forward to in the next 6 months?

I am excited to get to know my co-workers and other members of the team at KRH. As I said before, it’s a team sport and forming trusting relationships is really important. I look forward to improving my skills and med/surg knowledge, as well as getting to work more with patients.

 What is your WHY you went into nursing?

I went into nursing to make a difference and to help others, even in the smallest of ways. Bedside nursing definitely puts us in position to do that. It’s a lifelong profession, with so many different routes you can take it. I love working with others, and I am very thankful to be in this field!

---

Welcome to KRH, Linnea!

We are so excited to have you on our team.

---

 

On August 7th, 10 newly licensed nurses joined KRH through the Nurse Residency Program.  For the past three months, they have been working diligently with preceptors and attending residency classes in preparation to practice independently.

Welcome to the team, cohort 5.

We are proud of you!