Nursing Transition to Practice Program Coordinator

Help Shape the Future of Nursing at Cottage Health.

If you are passionate about supporting new nurses as they begin their professional journey, this is an opportunity to make a meaningful impact on the future of the nursing profession. The Nursing Transition to Practice Program Coordinator provides leadership and oversight for Cottage Health's nationally accredited RN Residency Program, preceptor and mentor development initiatives, and academic partnerships. In this collaborative role, you will work closely with nursing leaders, educators, and academic institutions to foster clinical excellence, professional growth, and workforce retention while ensuring compliance with American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Practice Transition Accreditation Program (PTAP) standards. We are seeking an innovative and inspiring nurse leader who is passionate about professional development, advancing nursing practice, and creating exceptional transition-to-practice experiences that help nurses build confidence, competence, and resilience.

Responsibilities

This is not an exhaustive statement of duties, responsibilities, or requirements. Employees will be required to perform any job, with related instruction given by their supervisor, subject to reasonable accommodation.

• RN Residency Program Leadership and Accreditation

  • Provides strategic leadership, operational oversight, and continuous evaluation of the ANCC PTAP-accredited Cottage Health RN Residency Program, ensuring consistent implementation across practice settings and alignment with organizational workforce goals.
  • Leads ANCC PTAP accreditation and re-accreditation activities, including self-study preparation and submission, annual reporting, quality assurance monitoring, regulatory compliance, stakeholder engagement, and continuous quality improvement initiatives.
  • Oversees curriculum design, program structure, organizational enculturation, goal development, and outcome evaluation to support successful transition to independent nursing practice.
  • Directs practice-based learning experiences, including competency validation, preceptor and mentor programs, simulation activities, residency seminars, and awareness of specialty training scope and standards of practice.
  • Collaborates with nursing leaders, practice setting coordinators, and NPD practitioners to ensure program alignment with clinical practice standards, organizational priorities, and workforce needs.

• Preceptor Development and Mentorship Programs

  • Designs, implements, and evaluates comprehensive preceptor and mentorship programs that support clinical excellence, professional development, engagement, and retention.
  • Establishes standards and processes for preceptor selection, preparation, competency validation, evaluation, recognition, and ongoing development.
  • Provides consultation, coaching, and guidance to preceptors, residency facilitators, and NPD practitioners regarding learner assessment, feedback, and development strategies.
  • Partners with nursing leadership to ensure adequate preceptor and mentor capacity, succession planning, program sustainability, and incorporation of evidence-based educational practices.
  • Provides consultation, coaching, and guidance to preceptors, residency facilitators, and NPD practitioners regarding learner assessment, feedback, and development strategies.
  • Partners with nursing leadership to ensure adequate preceptor and mentor capacity, succession planning, program sustainability, and incorporation of evidence-based educational practices.

• Academic Partnerships

  • Establishes and maintains strategic partnerships with academic institutions and workforce development stakeholders to strengthen healthcare workforce pipelines and recruitment efforts.
  • Collaborates with Academic Clinical Coordination to support clinical placements, affiliation agreements, onboarding processes, and compliance with organizational, contractual, and regulatory requirements.
  • Serves as a liaison among Cottage Health workforce development teams, nursing leaders, faculty and students to align educational experiences with workforce priorities and employment pathways.
  • Evaluates partnership effectiveness and identifies opportunities to expand student engagement, academic collaborations, and workforce development initiatives.

• Operational and Financial Stewardship

  • Contributes to budget oversight and designated resources supporting transition-to-practice, preceptor and mentorship programs.
  • Evaluates and projects full time equivalent (FTE) expenses related to residency, preceptorship and mentorship programs.
  • Utilizes data analytics, outcome measures, and strategic planning processes to assess program effectiveness, support workforce planning, and drive continuous improvement.
  • Develops reports, recommendations, and presentations for executive leadership and key stakeholders while ensuring compliance with organizational, accreditation, and regulatory requirements.
  • Contributes to policy development and represents Cottage Health through professional organizations, academic partnerships, advisory councils, and workforce development initiatives at local, regional, and national levels.

• Clinical Education and NPD Support

  • Participates in centralized education initiatives including central nursing orientation, simulation offerings, and life support training.
  • Contributes to dissemination of information regarding new products and policies.
  • Maintains internal websites for RN Residency, Preceptor and Mentor Programs
  • Assumes lead role in review and revision of initial competency documentation.

Qualifications

All job qualifications listed indicate the minimum level necessary to perform this job proficiently.

LEVEL OF EDUCATION

Minimum:

• Bachelor's Degree in Arts/Sciences (BA/BS) Bachelor's degree in Nursing, Education, Healthcare Administration, or a related field required.

Preferred:

• Master's degree in Arts/Sciences (MA/MS) Master's degree in Nursing, Education, Healthcare Administration, or a related field

CERTIFICATIONS, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS

Minimum:

• California Registered Nurse (RN)

Preferred:

• Nursing Professional Development Certification within 2 Years

TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS

Minimum:

• Basic understanding of Microsoft Suite and presentation platforms.

YEARS OF RELATED WORK EXPERIENCE

Minimum:

• Five (5) years of experience in clinical nursing.

Preferred:

• Experience in nursing professional development, transition-to-practice programs, residency programs or academic partnerships.Experience leading educational programs or complex projects. Experience with ANCC PTAP accreditation standards and residency program accreditation processes preferred.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, and ABILITIES
All knowledge, skills, and abilities listed indicate the minimum level deemed necessary to perform this job proficiently.

• Knowledge of adult learning theories and psychological safety for the learner.

Cottage Health is a leading acute care hospital system, located on the central coast of California, widely known for our superior patient care, innovation, medical research and education. Our health system operates primarily in Santa Barbara, CA, since 1888, and consists of three acute care hospitals, a Rehabilitation Hospital, multiple clinics and a multi-site Urgent Care system. Our mission is to serve the central coast communities with excellence, integrity, and compassion. Every day we touch thousands of lives in many different ways, resolute in our mission to put patients first. We take pride in helping our patients get back to living their lives - in the places they love.

*Pay for non-physician positions is determined based on related years of experience and internal equity. Eligible employees may also receive additional forms of compensation, including shift differentials, on-call pay, incentive pay, and bonus opportunities, where applicable. Manager and above positions may participate in Cottage Health’s annual management incentive program. Physician compensation is determined based upon specialty and may include bonus potential. For more information on our comprehensive Total Rewards offerings, please visit

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