From advanced beginner to competent registered nurse (RN)
From advanced beginner to competent registered nurse (RN), CASN’s national residency program for RNs integrates nursing graduates into health care delivery, creating a more sustainable workforce.
CASN’s Nurse Residency Program is the first of its kind offered in Canada. The research component will provide valuable evidence on the effectiveness of nurse residency programs in easing the transition of newly licensed registered nurses into their professional roles.
A residency program for RNs integrates competent, emotionally resilient, and retainable nursing graduates into a sustainable workforce.
Learn more about the research component from Dr. Judy Duchscher in this short video.
The 6-month Competency-Based Residency Program begins with a 5-day orientation provided by the health care institution, followed by a full preceptorship of the new graduate over an 11-week period. For the last 3 months of the program, the preceptor-mentor provides as-needed information and support to the new graduate while they acclimatize to a full workload. During the 6 months, CASN provides virtual workshops to the new graduates.
There is also a required asynchronous, virtual Preceptor-Mentor Training Program for staff nurses over a 3-month period before the program starts. This course may be taken during non-working hours.
Cost for the Program (curriculum, workshops, preceptor-mentor training, and competency-based evaluation rubrics) starts at $10,000 annually, plus $200 per preceptor-mentor course attendee.
**Normally, program costs will be paid by the health institution (the employer); however, a Health Canada contribution agreement will cover the cost to participate in the CASN Residency Program and evaluation research project. Apply for free* now!
*does not cover the preceptor-mentor release time costs. There is no cost to nursing graduates. See Program Partners for more details.
Interested Government
Interested Health Institution
Interested Preceptor
Assisting health care institutions with funding for the Residency Program.
Providing a new-grad orientation to the institution and assigning the preceptor-mentor.
Teaching, supervising, coaching, mentoring, and supporting the new grad as they progressively take on a full patient assignment.
Production of this program has been made possible through a financial contribution from Health Canada. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the views of Health Canada.
Program documents:
For information about the program, contact CASN’s Jodie Lachance at jlachance@casn.ca.
Leaders and educators share their experiences with implementing the CASN Nurse Residency Program and its impact on supporting new nurses across Canada.
“Improving our health care system includes addressing the challenges our nurses face across the country. This investment will help many nurses feel supported which will lead to better retention and recruitment. This in turn will help strengthen health care for all Canadians, as nurses play a crucial role in our daily wellbeing.”
Minister of Health
“New nurses need adequate supports to be successful as they integrate into the practice environment. CASN’s residency program is essential in ensuring that new nurses are retained in the health workforce. Providing a robust residency program for new nurses will foster professional growth and nurture a culture of continuous learning for ongoing professional success.”
Chief Nursing Officer of Canada
“Canada’s health care system is experiencing unprecedented nursing shortages due to unsustainable working conditions and the increasing demands facing new graduates. CASN is confident that a national residency program for new nurses will help integrate nursing graduates into health care delivery, and it will support the creation of a more sustainable workforce. We are looking forward to working with Health Canada, employers across Canada, health care institutions, preceptors, and new nurses, to implement a national residency program that produces residency-trained nurses who are safer, more competent, and retainable.”
Former Executive Director, CASN
“While this is the program’s second year in the NWT, it has already shown improvements in recruitment and retention for Northern health care. With continued contributions to 2027, the program will remain a key support for nursing graduates working in the NWT. To date, the Nurse Residency Program has trained 41 registered nurses across the territory for their roles as preceptors and mentors, and nine RN graduates completed the first cohort in 2022, with eight of these nurses remaining in the NWT. We are proud to announce that in 2023 that there are 16 new RNs joining the Nurse Residency Program starting in July."
“My education department has been looking for a precepting-mentoring program for nursing staff that has been professionally developed for many years. When we found the CASN Preceptor-Mentor Training Program, it is an educator’s dream come true. I have tried to teach new mentors, but it is always from my experiences with my past students. CASN shares many points of view and many interesting topics. I knew a lot of the information, but the CASN Preceptor-Mentor Training Program allowed me to put a name to my experiences with my students. I enjoyed the final chapters about Dealing with Bullying, Reality Shock and Conflict. It is very relevant in the endemic of COVID and the new reality we live in! I highly recommend this course to future and experienced preceptors/mentors!”
Stanton Territorial Hospital Yellowknife
“A high-quality training for anyone wishing to become a preceptor. The program includes short comprehensive modules that are stimulating due to the various activities requiring either reflective thinking or the application of the theoretical concepts learned. Also, the practical content is clearly communicated.”
DESS Santé mondiale Coordonnatrice de stages Faculté des sciences infirmières, Université de Montréal
“This training provided me with practical knowledge that I can apply daily in supporting my colleagues in clinical settings. The presentation is image-laden, dynamic, and evidence-focused. The required activities are all applicable to my work environment. Thank you for this addition to my toolbox!”
infirmière clinicienne, CLSC Simonne-Monet-Chartrand
At the Nursing the Future Speaker Series, Karyn Urau, Nurse Educator and Territorial Manager at the Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority, shared her experience with implementing the CASN Nurse Residency Program in the Northwest Territories.
Nurse Educator and Territorial Manager
Text Description (PDF)
New nurses can participate through their employer only; CASN is not currently able to register individual nurses to the Residency Program. Please have your employer contact CASN to participate in the program.
New graduates are registered nurses with less than 1 year of licensure.
Yes! Please contact us for more information.
Yes! You can have your staff only take the Preceptor-Mentor Training Program or have newly graduated registered nurses or practical nurses participate only in the workshops. Contact us for more information.
CASN does not provide the high-fidelity simulation scenarios recommended in our Residency Program. Those are the responsibility of the employer. However, for employers that are unable to offer high-fidelity simulations, there are free virtual simulations offered through CAN-Sim (https://can-sim.ca/hc/).
Registration for the spring (March–June) session opens in January. Registration for the fall (September–December) session opens in June. Registration remains open until 2 weeks before the end of the session.
Practical nurses are welcome to take the Preceptor-Mentor Training Program. Other health care professionals might find the content useful, but it is directly geared towards nurses.
The Residency Program is currently only available for new registered nurses. However, practical nurses are welcome to participate in the workshops. We are in discussions to develop an equivalent program for practical nurses.