Leading the Charge: Achievement of National Accreditation for a Nurse Residency Program.

This article describes best practice recommendations in program development for a nurse residency program. This registered nurse residency program is the first in New England to acquire the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Practice Transition Accreditation. Best practices identified in this effort include (a) use of a quality improvement analyst for data trending, (b) inclusion of an off-shift nurse educator, (c) use of evidence-based practice, (d) a standardized preceptor program, and (e) appropriate evaluation instruments. New graduate nurse satisfaction increased and turnover decreased after program implementation.