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Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Residency Program

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Southern Arizona VA Health Care System Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Residency Program

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The Department of Nursing Professional Staff Development at the Tucson VA Medical Center offers a Post Graduate Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Residency Program for board certified Advance Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) in Adult Gerontology or Family Practice. It is a twelve-month residency in Primary Care in partnership with the University of Arizona.

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Residents will enjoy full-time employment while completing 2080+ hours of 1:1 mentoring with Primary Care Providers in a Primary Care outpatient setting. In addition, collaborative, interprofessional practice opportunities will occur in Dermatology, Pain Management, Mental Health, Women’s Health, Podiatry, Pulmonology and Gastroenterology Clinics. Residents will be in clinic 32-hours a week with a patient caseload and have 8 hours to dedicate to a robust didactic curriculum. Our program currently supports two to four residents bi-annually (Spring and Fall). This is a funded position though the Veterans Affairs Nursing Office of Academic Affiliations and includes vacation, sick leave, health care.

Mission Statement

The mission of The Tucson VA Primary Care Nurse Residency Program is to develop competent, confident, practice-ready Nurse Practitioners equipped with the knowledge and skills necessary to address the specific needs of our nation's Veterans in the Veterans Health Care Administration and community. The program seeks to enhance recruitment and retention of VA Nurse Practitioners by providing a constant supply of highly qualified APRN’s into the workforce.

Residents will master Primary Clinical Care under the mentorship of master clinicians. They will have the opportunity to participate in didactic learning in Primary and Specialty Care, including observations, hands-on specialty care, teaching, service learning, and Evidence Based Practice. The PC-NP Residency Program seeks to create exceptional PC-Nurse Practitioners who will be able to care for the complex Veteran patient.

Program Goals

Prepare Nurse Practitioner’s to become competent providers in Primary Care
Develop and deliver an experiential curriculum that integrates the teacher-scholar model
Contribute to an expanding body of knowledge of Advance Practice Nursing
Serve as a resource within professional, academic, and social communities
Graduate Nurse Practitioners who demonstrate professional excellence

Curriculum

Our core curriculum is composed of clinical competencies, which are instrumental in the development of the competent PC-Nurse Practitioner practicing in the Primary Care setting. The competencies are comprised of weekly independent readings, 1:1 clincial instruction, didactic sessions, and integrated learning projects with opportunities for teaching, research, and community service, along with supplemental online materials. These competencies and online training compliment weekly mentored advanced clinical practice in Primary Care across clinical settings.

Practice Based Learning
Quality Improvement and Patient safety
Communication and Conflict Management
Professional Roles and Responsibilities
Resource Utilization
Health Delivery Systems
Information and Technology
Interprofessional Collaboration
Stress Management
Leadership
Professional Development
Veteran Centric Care
Primary Care Specific: Knowledge of Basic Science
Primary Care Specific: Knowledge of Adult Gerontological Disorders
Primary Care Specific: Knowledge of Diagnostic Criteria
Primary Care Specific: Knowledge of Pharmacotherapy
Patient Care Competencies: Assessment and Health
Patient Care Competencies: Diagnosis
Patient Care Competencies: Treatment
Patient Care Competencies: Follow-Up and Evaluation
Patient Care Competencies: Promotion of Optimal Health
Patient Care Competencies: Patient and Family Education

Residency Experiences

Primary Care
Specialty Care (Podiatry, Pulmonology, PC Mental Health, Gastrointestinal and Dermatology)
Women’s Health
Wellness Programs (Whole Health)
Engagement Programs (Crucial Conversations)
Policy and practice issues (State APRN Conference)

Residency Requirements

US Citizenship
Graduation recent (within 12 months) of a master’s or doctoral level Nurse Practitioner Program accredited by CCNE or ACEN
Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
Be serving in his/her first Nurse Practitioner role in Primary Care specialty practice area
Possess a current board certification in either Adult-Gerontological Nurse Practitioner or Family Nurse Practitioner board certification
Current active and unrestricted license as an RN and APRN in a state, commonwealth or territory of the US or DC
Be proficient in spoken and written English
Must be able to complete 365 days of training starting August 2022

Benefits

$76,174 stipend
Health insurance
Paid leave days: 4 hours vacation/pay period; 4 hours of sick time/pay period; 11 Federal holidays
Personal workstation laptop
Office supplies
Medical Library access

Eligibility Requirements

Three letters of reference, including one reference from a graduate nursing faculty member
Health Care Professional Trainee Drug Testing Memo
Application for Health Professions Trainees
Form DD-214 (if you are a Veteran)
Checklist for Health Professional Trainees
https://www.va.gov/OAA/docs/2021HPTInstructionsv4.pdf
https://www.va.gov/oaa/app-forms.asp
VA Form OF-306 Optional Form 306 (Rev. October 2011) (opm.gov)
VA Form 10-2850D; https://www.va.gov/oaa/app-forms.asp
Detailed resume/CV
Cover letter
If you meet the above requirements, please submit the application including an essay detailing why you are interested in the program