Nurse Residency Program Fall 2026

VUMC Nurse Residency Program – Fall 2026 Cohort

Are you a new graduate nurse ready to launch your nursing career with confidence and support? The Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) Nurse Residency Program is designed just for you.

This 12-month program is ideal for:

• New graduate nurses
• Registered Nurses with less than six (6) months of RN experience at the time of application.

To be eligible, applicants must:

• Graduate from an accredited nursing program (ACEN, CCNE, or CNEA)
• Pass the NCLEX before the program start date
• Hold a BLS certification (required before start date and must be active for at least 90 days after start date)
• Be able to work 36–40 hours per week full-time during the first year
• Note: A background check is required and must be completed prior to employment.

Application Timeline

• Current Vanderbilt Employees - May 4-10, 2026
• All Applicants May 11- June 7, 2026
• Additional Remaining Openings- June 8 - August 31, 2026

Why Join the Vanderbilt Nurse Residency Program?

• Nationally Accredited by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Practice Transition Accreditation Program
• Comprehensive Support with preceptors, trained mentors, and resident leaders
• Magnet-Designated Hospital with a focus on lifelong learning and professional development
• Move to Nashville Bonus: We offer relocation incentive bonuses to help you move to one of the most vibrant cities in the country. Your address is derived from the Workday application site for Relocation assistance and added to the offer letter.
• Student Loan Repayment – Significant monthly contributions to help reduce your loan burden
• Benefits on Day One – Immediate access to health insurance and employee perks
• ASN and BSN degrees are both accepted

Explore More

Learn more about unit tracks: VUMC Unit Listings

Application Process

• Step 1: Submit your application with resume, education, work history, and unit preferences. Complete the pre-screen questions.
• Step 2: Your application will be reviewed and shared with department managers to determine the next steps.

Our Nursing Philosophy

We believe highly skilled and specialized nursing care is essential to VUMC's mission of excellence in patient care, education, and research. Nursing is both an art and a science—centered on helping individuals, families, and communities achieve optimal health.

Learn more about nursing at Vanderbilt: VUMC Nursing Careers

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Collaborates in establishing the plan of care, coordinates and implements care delivery while anticipating patient care needs across the continuum.

• Analyzes comprehensive information pertinent to the patient's care and management to determine nursing diagnosis.

• Continually utilizes the nursing process to evaluate patient's progress towards goals and applies appropriate interventions to ensure effective outcomes.

• Employs strategies to promote health and a safe and healthy environment.

The responsibilities listed are a general overview of the position and additional duties may be assigned.

TECHNICAL CAPABILITIES

• Nursing Patient Assessment & Evaluation (Fundamental Awareness): Has limited experience, training, direct exposure, or past experience working with nursing patient assessment and evaluations.

• Nursing Patient Education (Fundamental Awareness): Has limited experience, training, direct exposure, or past experience working with patient education.

• Care Planning (Fundamental Awareness): Establishes realistic personal work goals and objectives. Demonstrates ability to anticipate basic resource needs, identify distinct tasks, set priorities, schedule activities, meet deadlines, and organize work for own assignments and responsibilities. Prepares and presents clear and accurate status reports on projects and assignments.

• Evidence-Based Practice (Fundamental Awareness): Recognizes nursing practice is research-based and questions or demonstrates curiosity about the scientific basis of practice.

Core Accountabilities:

Organizational Impact: Delivers job responsibilities that impact own job area/team with some guidance. Problem Solving/ Complexity of work: Uses existing procedures, research and analysis to solve standard job related problems that may require some judgement. Breadth of Knowledge: Requires subject matter knowledge within a professional area to meet job requirements. Team Interaction: Individually contributes to project/ work teams.

Core Capabilities :

Supporting Colleagues: - Develops Self and Others: Continuously improves own skills by identifying development opportunities.- Builds and Maintains Relationships: Seeks to understand colleagues priorities, working styles and develops relationships across areas. - Communicates Effectively: Openly shares information with others and communicates in a clear and courteous manner. Delivering Excellent Services: - Serves Others with Compassion: Invests time to understand the problems, needs of others and how to provide excellent service. - Solves Complex Problems: Seeks to understand issues, solves routine problems, and raises proper concerns to supervisors in a timely manner. - Offers Meaningful Advice and Support: Listens carefully to understand the issues and provides accurate information and support. Ensuring High Quality: - Performs Excellent Work: Checks work quality before delivery and asks relevant questions to meet quality standards.- Ensures Continuous Improvement: Shows eagerness to learn new knowledge, technologies, tools or systems and displays willingness to go above and beyond. - Fulfills Safety and Regulatory Requirements: Demonstrates basic knowledge of conditions that affect safety and reports unsafe conditions to the appropriate person or department. Managing Resources Effectively :- Demonstrates Accountability: Takes responsibility for completing assigned activities and thinks beyond standard approaches to provide high-quality work/service. - Stewards Organizational Resources: Displays understanding of how personal actions will impact departmental resources. - Makes Data Driven Decisions: Uses accurate information and good decision making to consistently achieve results on time and without error. Fostering Innovation: - Generates New Ideas: Willingly proposes/accepts ideas or initiatives that will impact day-to-day operations by offering suggestions to enhance them.- Applies Technology: Absorbs new technology quickly; understands when to utilize the appropriate tools and procedures to ensure proper course of action. - Adapts to Change: Embraces changes by keeping an open mind to changing plans and incorporates change instructions into own area of work.

Position Qualifications:

Responsibilities:

Certifications:

LIC-Registered Nurse - Licensure-Others

Work Experience:

Relevant Work Experience

Experience Level :

Less than 1 year

Education

Graduate of an approved discipline specific program: Nursing (Required)

This role offers the opportunity to make a meaningful impact within Vanderbilt Health, supported by a comprehensive benefits package which may include health, disability, retirement and/or wellness offerings to enhance your well-being and professional growth.

Vanderbilt Health is committed to fostering an environment where everyone has the chance to thrive and is committed to the principles of equal opportunity. EOE/Vets/Disabled.