How We Work
The nursing shortage in the U.S. has reached unprecedented levels. As such, hospitals must begin hiring new nursing graduates, which comes with a challenge.
At Vail Health, we aim to change that. Our new 12-month Transition to Practice Program will give new graduates the focused support, on-the-job training and mentoring they need to become long-term team members with us.
The goals of our Transition to Practice Program are to:
- Hire approximately 5-10 new graduates each year to participate in the program
- Bridge gaps in the new graduates’ clinical skills, building their professional competence
- Connect “book knowledge” to real-life nursing practice, making the transition to the bedside easier
- Provide a support network for new graduates so they can learn from one another
- Create a formal process for onboarding and mentoring new graduates
- Partner with Denver hospitals to provide our new graduates with additional training at higher-volume facilities
The retention rate for nursing graduates is 100% since June 2022.

