MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --
Four Officers graduated from the 10-week Tampa Nurse Transition Program at Tampa General Hospital, Jan. 26, 2017.
The program, which is provided at four different locations including TGH in partnership with MacDill Air Force Base, Florida, focuses on providing a strong foundation of nursing skills and building a platform to build from before they arrive at their first duty station.
This program is intended for Airmen with less than one year of experience outside of nursing school. The goal is to ease the transition from novice and inexperienced nurses to competent active duty nurses.
“Most of the nurses going through this program just graduated nursing school and have taken their state boards,” said Maj. Clementine Duke, the Course Director for the Tampa Nurse Transition Program, assigned to the 383rd Training Squadron. “This program gives them some hands-on experience.”
The initial two weeks of the program are spent in-processing and verified on skills such as drawing blood, IV insertion, chest tube management, foley catheter insertion and removal, blood administration, assessments, trach care and nasogastric tube placement and removal which is used to deliver food and medication.
Following in-processing, each Airman is assigned a nurse at TGH called a preceptor, and begins clinicals for the next seven weeks. During that time, they work alongside their preceptor on 12-hour shifts.
Airmen receive one to two patients and eventually progress to four patients by the end of the program. Throughout the seven weeks of clinicals, the Airmen spend approximately 290 hours in patient care.
Throughout the ten weeks, the Airmen also receive five academic days totaling 40 hours of officer mentoring, introduction to evidence base practice, a medical surgeon presentation, reviewing Air Force regulations, an introduction to the medical group staff and functions and learning about different Air Force programs. Additionally, prior enlisted personnel learn how to transition to the commissioned ranks.
“The program transitions nurses from a nursing school environment, where they may have one patient to care for in a full day, to managing a team of patients on an inpatient nursing unit,” explained Duke. “In nursing school they learn things piece by piece and this program is the bridge that allows them to put it all into practice.”
In the final week the Airmen participate in panel discussions and complete final graduation requirements.
“They gave me the tools I needed to learn, but also pushed me out of my comfort zone,” said 2nd Lt. Dollie Moore, a clinical nurse attending the Tampa Nurse Transition program. “In comparison from day one to now, I have a newfound confidence.”
Following graduation, Airmen leave for their first duty station. There, they must complete a one year residency and finish the Air Force Nurse Residency Program.
“I feel more comfortable and ready to go to my new base, be introduced to their systems and take care of my patients,” said Moore.