Salinas Valley Health Nurse Residency Program Earns Accreditation with Distinction

Media Contact: Karina Rusk
831-759-1843

December 21, 2022 – The nursing program at Salinas Valley Health has earned a prestigious professional accreditation with the added significance of doing so with distinction. This internationally acclaimed accreditation formally recognizes the Healthcare System’s impressive education program and support environment provided specifically to new nursing graduates so they can achieve the highest level of professional success.

This week, the American Nurses Credentialing Center announced Salinas Valley Health achieved accreditation with distinction from the Practice Transition Accreditation Program (PTAP) for its New Graduate Nurse Residency Program (NGNRP). Accreditation requires excellence in 39 standards of practice that are known to support new graduate nurses in transitioning into a healthcare system and enjoying long-term success within the organization. Salinas Valley Health joins only 236 NGNRP programs currently accredited in the United States and twelve other countries.

“This accreditation represents the heart of how our organization invests in our team members,” says Pete Delgado, president/CEO of Salinas Valley Health. “When we hire these new graduates, we provide them with proven tools to support their success, which in turn, results in outstanding patient care and ultimately the success of our Healthcare System.”

The Salinas Valley Health Education Department established a six-month NGNRP in September 2018 and the accreditation with distinction is the culmination of a multi-year, dedicated effort to establish evidence-based policies and training practices that meet the high standards of an accreditation designation. The program and accreditation journey was led by Salinas Valley Health education director Vanessa Irwin-Nieto, DNP, RN, NPD-BC, NE-BC, CNML, CNE, CLC and site clinical coordinator, Stephanie Frizzell, MSN, RN, NPD-BC, CMSRN.

The achievement is a testament to the education team and the collaboration with multiple specialty areas. In granting the accreditation with distinction, the PTAP appraisers identified a number of program strengths and best practices including:

• Regular debriefings and SMART goal forms/tools for residents.
• Introduction of the scope and standards of practice
• Support of professional development in nursing including attainment of BSN degrees
• Use of Johns Hopkins’ Nursing Evidence-Based Practice (EPB) tools
• Residents beginning an EBP project they submitted as a referral to their Unit Practice Council
• Individualized learning plans for each resident

Salinas Valley Health is proud of its culture of continual improvement focusing on knowledge development, professional development, skill and competency development, and wellness. This is the first such accreditation in Monterey County, as is the Magnet Program Recognition designation for Salinas Valley Health achieved in 2021 representing a level of nursing excellence only achieved by approximately 10% of hospitals nationwide.