Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Residency Training

This one-year post-graduate NP residency is designed for new nurse practitioners with a commitment to serve the Veteran population. The program supports and nurtures the transition to practice for newly graduated NPs to help them become confident and competent primary care providers.  Residency training includes didactic seminars, grand rounds, supervised primary care clinical and specialty care clinical rotations with growing levels of autonomy as the year progresses, leadership training and projects, and inter-professional experiences during the 12 months of the residency.  Residents will also attend didactic seminars. Topics will be primary care focused including HTN, Diabetes, COPD, CKD, thyroid disease, dementia, depression, among others and including perspectives and interdisciplinary experiences.

Competency-Based Curriculum

The VA OAA NP competency-based curriculum is based on an 80/20 model with 80 percent of the training time focused on the advancement of clinical skills and 20 percent on the enhancement of clinical knowledge, focusing on Veteran-centric topics and principles of assessment, diagnostics, and treatment of complex clinical cases that incorporate the bio-psycho-social aspects of the whole person and evidence-based practice. The unique VA OAA NPR training is delivered in the interprofessional learning environment in which NP residents work collaboratively with the physician, psychology, pharmacy, social work, and other health professions resident trainees. Evidence-based practice is a central tenet of the program and residents are deeply engaged in quality enhancement and system redesign projects during their training at the VA medical centers, leading to improved patient and organizational outcomes as well as providing opportunities for scholarly presentations and publications.

PC NP Residency Salary and Benefits

Residents in our program are considered federal trainees with a competitive salary and benefit package. Salary is based on the current year’s allocation rate. In addition, residents accrue annual/sick leave and other benefits listed below: 

• Salary (Stipend +FICA): Competitive
• Health benefits: Information about Federal Employment Benefits can be accessed from the following link: https://www.opm.gov/healthcare-insurance/Guide-Me/New-Prospective-Employees/
• These benefits include:
• Government Health Care Medical Plan
• Option for dental and life insurance
• Residents are not vested and do not have a 401K or matching fund benefit during the residency year
• 10 paid holidays
• Annual/Sick Leave

PC NP Residency Program Application

Thank you for your interest in the Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (PC NP) Residency Program at the VA Salt Lake City Health Care System. This residency is designed for new nurse practitioners (graduated within a year of residency beginning) with a commitment to serve the Veteran population.

The program supports the transition from academia to practice and prepares new NPs to become confident and competent primary care providers by providing didactic seminars, grand rounds, supervised clinical practice, specialty rotations, leadership training, inter-professional education and tele-medicine training during the 12-month period. Upon completion of this residency program, graduates will receive a Residency Completion Certificate.

Our program will support three residents for the 2023-24 cohort beginning in mid-August 2023 with completion in mid-August 2024.

PC NP Residency Eligibility

US Citizenship

• Graduate of Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) or the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) accredited nurse practitioner program (FNP or AGPCNP)
• Recent graduate within the past 12 months (within 12 months of beginning of residency each year)
• No employment as an NP between graduation and beginning NP residency
• Hold a Masters and/or Doctorate degree with a specialty as a Family Nurse Practitioner or Adult Gerontologic Primary Care Nurse Practitioner
• Proficiency in written and spoken English
• Completion of each of the following: drug screen, background investigation, lab and physical exam, tuberculosis skin testing, flu shot, Hep B titer

Application Requirements

Completed PC NP Residency application

A Letter of Interest (no more than two double-spaced pages to include but not limited to the following):

• Three most important professional goals
• Discussion of experience with a variety of patient populations--veterans, vulnerable, underserved, or elderly populations
• How career goals align with the PC NP role and with furthering the NP profession

Curriculum Vitae/Resume to include each of the following in this order:

• Education
• Work Experience
• Research & Publications (if applicable)
• Leadership Service
• Life Experiences
• Professional Memberships
• Awards/Honors
• Personal Interests

Required documentation

• Unofficial nursing school transcripts (Official transcripts are required upon graduation)
• A copy of recent BLS and/or ACLS
• A copy of APRN License (not required with application but required prior to beginning residency)
• A copy of DEA License (not required with application but required prior to beginning residency)
• A copy of FNP or AGPC NP Board-Certification (not required with application but required prior to beginning residency)
• Three (3) letters of recommendation* (authors to submit directly to Stacey Shaffer, Program Director)
  • One (1) letter from an academic instructor
  • One (1) letter from a preceptor (a different person from the above-mentioned academic instructor)
  • One (1) letter from an employer or co-worker

* Content in each letter should include the nature of the work relationship with the candidate, the candidate’s work performance, the candidate’s interpersonal skills, and any strengths/talents the candidate would bring to this residency program.

Application dates

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis until February 24, 2023

Letters of Acceptance will be mailed by March 31, 2023

Program state date: Aug. 14, 2023

Early submission is highly recommended

For eligible candidates, in person or phone interviews with VA faculty will be scheduled in March 2021. You will be contacted regarding the specific date and time for interviews.

Letters of Acceptance will be emailed March 31, 2023. The letter will include follow-up instructions regarding completion of the HR process, appointment with individual supervisors, and orientation.

Submit documents as attachments to an email to: Stacey.Shaffer2@va.gov. Letters of recommendation can be included in your application or come from authors directly in PDF format.

Contact

Stacey Shaffer MSN, AGPC NP-BC
Director, Post-Graduate Primary Care NP Residency Program
VA Salt Lake City Health Care System
Stacey.Shaffer2@va.gov