What It’s Like to Be a Nurse at Olympic Medical Center
Check out the blogs below to learn about some of the dedicated and compassionate nurses at Olympic Medical Center.
Nurse Residency Program
Nurse Residency Program
Olympic Medical Center offers a robust nurse residency program. The 11-month program ensures a smooth transition to practice for registered nurse graduates. Each nurse resident at Olympic Medical Center works 1-on-1 with a preceptor for the first 12 weeks of the program.
Following the first 12 weeks of the program, nurse residents attend monthly roundtables to discuss topics critical to the transition to practice. Roundtables are offered in a variety of modalities to fulfill each resident’s work-balance needs. Resident must attend at least 80 percent of the monthly roundtables.
The curriculum for the nurse residency program is offered via HealthStream – a nationally recognized residency learning format – in a multi-modal presentation, bringing together in-person learning, e-learning, virtual learning and hand-on simulation.
How to Apply
Applications are open for the 2022-23 Nurse Resident Cohort at Olympic Medical Center. Click here to apply today.
Program Timeline
- August 1: Residency program begins
- First 12 weeks of program: 1-on-1 preceptorship
- June: Residency program ends; Residents continue with OMC to the completion of their 2-year contract
Prerequisites
In order to be considered for Olympic Medical Center’s RN Residency Program, applicants must meet each of the criteria listed below:
- Graduate of a nationally accredited nursing school,
- Successfully passed NCLEX and received Washington state nursing license.
What to Expect
RN residents work with a 1-on-1 preceptorship for at least the first 12 weeks of the program. During the first 12 weeks of the program, RN residents can expect to work a variety of schedules and shift: 8-hour, 10-hour or 12-hour shifts during days, evenings, nights, weekends and holidays.
After the first 12 weeks of the program, the 1-on-1 preceptorship may continue depending on each resident’s department and specialty.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the compensation and benefits for nurse residents?
Nurse residents receive market-competitive compensation and generous benefits. Nurse residents receive three retention bonuses, totaling $10,000: after 90 days ($2,000), after one year ($2,000) and after two years ($6,000).
Olympic Medical Center’s highly-competitive benefits include:
- Insurance Plans
- Health, Dental, Vision
- Life Insurance
- Short Term and Long Term Disability
- Retirement Programs (Pension Plan, 403(b) and 457(b) Retirement Plans)
- Paid Time Off (Vacation, Holiday)
- Flexible Spending Accounts
- Additional Benefits, such as:
- Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
- Fitness Club Reimbursement
- Cafeteria and Espresso Bar employee discount
- Verizon and AT&T mobile plan discounts
Nurse residents are offered the opportunity to join SEIU 1199NW.
Are nurse residents obligated to stay at Olympic Medical Center?
A two-year contract is required for nurse residents. The two years include the 11-month-long residency program.
Which departments do nurse residents have the opportunity to work with?
- Emergency Services
- ICU/Telemetry
- Obstetrics
- Endoscopy
- Post-anesthesia care unit
- Short stay unit
- Medical/Surgical/Pediatrics
- Wound Care (outpatient)
- Walk-In Clinic (outpatient)
- Primary and Specialty Care Clinics (outpatient)
- Home Health
When did Olympic Medical Center’s Nurse Residency program begin?
2017. Since then, residents have continued their nursing careers at OMC and elsewhere, advancing to leadership roles in some cases.
Meet the 2021-22 Nurse Resident Cohort
The 2021-22 nurse resident cohort featured 25 nurse residents from locales, near and far, including Vanderbilt University, Washington State University, Peninsula College and Eagle Gate College (Murray, UT). This marks the largest RN resident cohort at OMC in the last five years.
Get to know some of the nurses in the 2021-22 cohort.
Amelia
Olympic Medical Physicians
“The beauty of nursing is you get to see patients in
sometimes the worst times of their life, but also the
best times of their life. To be able to help them find
some comfort within that time is what has drawn
me and what drives me to keep going.”
Amelia’s route to Olympic Medical Center has been a circuitous one, but her path to becoming a nurse has long been clear to her.
“I knew I wanted to be in health care my entire life,” Amelia says. “…I’ve always been fascinated by the human body, but mixing that with the compassion to take care of people; that’s just always been my role.”
After growing up in New Jersey, she earned a bachelor’s degree in public health from Portland State University before entering the nursing program at Vanderbilt University in Nashville. From there, she joined the physician clinic division of OMC in Port Angeles.
“The area is absolutely gorgeous,” Amelia says. “People are so warm and so friendly…There’s no better feeling than having that positivity around you.”
Bryan
Short Stay
“I really love caring for patients and helping take
care of people in my community…Just being there
for patients in their time of need and providing
good care.”
Faced with a career change due to the pandemic, Bryan researched his options until he landed on a profession that he already had a passion for – nursing.
“[I] know quite a few doctors and nurses around town,” Bryan says. “I talked to them, just trying to get people’s insight about what they knew about me and what they might think would be a good second career for me. Nursing just seemed like the obvious choice. I’ve done some EMS in the past.”
After graduating from the nursing program at Peninsula College, Bryan is now working in the Short Stay unit at Olympic Medical Center.
Austin
Medical / Surgical / Pediatrics
“I was born and raised in this community. Being able to do my part, give back for all the care I received over the years here and everywhere.”
Austin knows firsthand what it can mean to someone to receive life-saving care.
He was a premature birth – born at seven months – and has undergone more than 20 surgeries in his lifetime. That experience is the driving force behind his decision to become a nurse.
“Being on both sides of the bed really helps,” Austin says. “It gives good perspective.”
Born and raised in Port Angeles, Austin finds fulfillment in giving back to the community, helping to provide health care like that of which has been so vital to him personally.
“Just being able to go in every single day knowing that I’m there to help and that I make a difference every day,” Austin says.
Jasmine
ICU / Telemetry
“It’s super rewarding to know that you’re a part of
someone’s healing process and to be able to
contribute to that…I just hope to be that light in
someone’s dark days.”
Jasmine was born at Olympic Medical Center, and now, after completing nursing school at Walla Walla University, she is a part of the team providing care for the residents of the Olympic Peninsula.
“My whole life, I wanted to do something in the medical field,” Jasmine says. “…I fell in love with the career during nursing school.”
Jasmine is certainly no stranger to OMC. Prior to beginning her residency, she served in two roles that helped OMC respond to the COVID-19 pandemic – first as a screening representative, helping to ensure patients and staff were healthy before entering an OMC facility, and then assisting in OMC’s drive-thru COVID testing operation.
“It’s cool to come back and give back as well,” Jasmine says. “Small, community hospitals are super cool because it’s personal.”