New Report Released: "Gaps in Current Nurse Residency Programs"

Qualitative research reports 4 key challenges in today's nurse residency programs and a checklist to solve them

illustration-of-nurses-standing-in-front-of-hospital

Read the Full Article

Want to test Ubisim?

Qualitative study finds disconnect between coordinator expectations and resident preparedness and reveals four key challenges facing nurse residency programs

BOSTON (September 20, 2025) – Today, UbiSim and its parent company, Labster, announce the release of "Gaps in Current Nurse Residency Programs," a research report that reveals a disconnect between what nurse residency programs think they're delivering and what residents experience. The study found that while coordinators believe their residents are ready for practice upon completion, significantly fewer residents report feeling prepared.

The qualitative research, conducted between May and June 2025, employed in-depth video interviews with 17 participants representing diverse nurse residency environments, from community hospitals to academic medical centers and rural facilities. This methodology achieved data saturation, where themes became predictable across interviews, providing deep insights into complex workplace dynamics that traditional surveys often miss.

The report identifies four challenges undermining program effectiveness:

Widespread engagement issues where residents describe training that feels like being "back in school”
Significant limitations in current evaluation methods
Persistent cultural challenges
Barriers to implementing innovative training technologies despite strong leadership support for improvement

These findings have implications for healthcare organizations investing in resident training and retention. The report also provides six encouraging opportunities for improvement, with both residents and coordinators expressing strong interest in more hands-on education and technology-enabled training approaches that can provide standardized learning experiences regardless of clinical volume or facility resources.

Download the full research report: https://www.ubisimvr.com/gaps-in-current-nurse-residency-programs

Watch the webinar: UbiSim has released an on-demand webinar featuring Dr. Dan Weberg and lead researcher Dr. Sofia Jimenez of LXD Research, with video insights from the research interviews. Those who register to watch the webinar will also receive the complete research report via email. Available at: https://www.ubisimvr.com/webinar/nurse-residents-program-directors-speak-out-on-what-they-really-think-matters