Nursing at Carilion

It is common for our nurses to be recognized—by patients, families, co-workers and leaders—for their commitment, compassion, courage, curiosity and sense of community.

They work together with purpose to achieve shared goals. They are unwavering in their quest for exceptional quality and service. They put heart into everything they do. They do what’s right for our patients without questions. They foster creativity and innovation. These values are at the heart of our Nursing team and are the core of everything we do at Carilion.

Professional Shared Governance

Our nursing practice model of professional shared governance is rooted in partnership, equity, accountability and ownership. Our nurses have the professional expertise and knowledge to contribute to only the best patient outcomes, and they are encouraged to contribute and work collaboratively; they are each decision makers with the responsibility and authority to be a part of important decisions.

The model is reflective of the relationship between nurses and their patients and the expectation that it supports safety, quality of care and a positive caregiving experience.

Our professional nursing shared governance council includes all our registered nurses and others with appropriate qualifications. There are six councils within the group, focusing on education, professional recognition, research, professional practice, quality, informatics and technology.

The Forum for Shared Governance (FSG) is the accrediting body for shared governance that assesses an organization's performance and grants accreditation. It is valid for four years. Our accreditation means we achieved a sufficient score on the FSG index based on our practices and processes, submitted our charter/bylaws for approval and participated in a validating conference call with FSG board members. 

According to the foundation, The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses honors the super-human work nurses do for patients and families every day. Several of Carilion's hospitals, Carilion Roanoke Memorial, Community, New River Valley Medical Center and Giles Community, participate in the program. This award celebrates the care and compassion of Carilion employees.

Our nurses are innovative and exemplary, and we build our Nursing team structures to make sure that each person can thrive. Working at a Magnet-recognized facility gives our nurses confidence in knowing that their contributions are valued and that they will have access to education and development throughout their career. They will be encouraged to be the very best they can be.

Magnet designations are awarded by the American Nurse Credentialing Center (ANCC) and are valid for four years; we have received designation five times, beginning in 2003, making our Roanoke Campus the longest-standing Magnet designee in the state of Virginia.

It is the highest credential for nursing facilities around the world—the gold standard for nursing practice and innovation. It indicates an organization’s dedication to an environment where nurses are empowered to reach their highest potential and take the lead in delivering excellent patient care.

We are one of only 591 institutions nationwide who are designated as Magnet; only around 9% of hospitals in the United States have received the honor. Of the 28 in Virginia, we are the only one with five.

Well-being isn’t just about physical wellness. We want each and every one of our nurses to develop and succeed in their physical, mental, financial, occupational, environmental, social and cultural health.

We prioritize well-being as an important way that we care for our patients and our community. We encourage our staff to care for themselves and care for each other so we can all collectively care for our patients and their families.

Our nurses have numerous resources to make sure every employee is healthy, mind and body, including:

• Wellness center facilities and on-site fit studios through Carilion Wellness.
• On-demand wellness services on-unit
• The Virgin Pulse program, which rewards employees for healthy habits
• Virtual and in-person employee support groups
• An employee assistance program offering counseling services
• Health education webinars and in-person events
• Chaplaincy services for spiritual support
• Schwartz Rounds focusing on the emotional impact of providing patient care

All of our nurses deserve to have the best available knowledge to guide them in their patient care. Part of our role in the growth of their careers is to provide the connections, resources and information they need—we do this through education, research and evidence-based practice (EBP).

Our Office of Nursing Research and Evidence-Based Practice and our Nursing Research Council work together with our nurses to develop, cultivate, implement and disseminate their scholarly ideas. Other opportunities for nurses include:

• Introductory and advanced classes covering various nursing research and presentation development topics
• An annual nursing research conference open to all our nurses who want to plan and implement nursing studies and present outcomes that reflect an impact to patient care
• A 12-month nursing research fellowship for nurses to develop and implement a study that addresses their chosen research question
• Financial assistance through the Nightingale Award to nurses who have been accepted to present at regional, national and international conferences
• Help developing and printing professional posters and podium presentations for acceptance at local, regional, national and international conferences
• Within REACH, a peer-reviewed publication that features articles by our nursing staff about current evidence and projects that might improve patient care and outcomes View a recent issue

The health care industry is always changing and evolving, and our nurses are encouraged to evolve along with it, to prepare for the health care challenges of today, tomorrow and beyond. Many instructor-led courses, online courses, specialized programs and sponsored conferences contribute to our atmosphere of learning, including:

Certifications – We collaborate with the American Nurses Credentialing Center to allow our nurses to sit for exams up to twice without having to pay an initial examination fee.

Progressive Care R.N. Fellowship – This unique program includes extensive orientation and educational opportunities that prepare our nurses for opportunities in clinical, leadership or education areas.

Nurse Residency Program – We are proud to offer this 12-month program that helps newly licensed nurses successfully transition into clinical practice, gain confidence and increase competence. Participants build relationships with peers and engage in learning experiences in a supportive environment with monthly professional development seminars. In the program, they learn to:

• Use effective decision-making skills and critical thinking
• Provide clinical nursing leadership when administering care
• Incorporate research-based evidence into practice
• Strengthen professional commitment to nursing
• Formulate an individualized professional development plan

To learn more about the program, contact Matt McGinley at nurseresidency@carilionclinic.org.

We also offer education through the Institute for Leadership Effectiveness by providing the INVIGORATE: Nursing Leadership Empowerment Program for nursing leaders. 

This foundational program is designed for nursing leaders, whether administrative or clinical to help leaders gain knowledge about Strategic Leadership Strategies, Emotional Agility / Well-being, How to Eliminate Conflict / Drama, Leading with a Coaching Mindset, and Setting Expectations to Hold your Teams Accountable. 

Leaders will be able to network and interact with other nursing leaders from across the organization during our facilitated content sessions and group coaching sessions. Participants can expect that this program will be a 5-month commitment with 1.5-2 hour long content and coaching sessions every 2 weeks. **There is a project capstone component to this program

In this  5-month program, nursing leaders will learn about:

• Strategic Leadership Strategies.
• Emotional Agility / Well-being.
• How to Eliminate Conflict / Drama.
• What it means to Lead with a Coaching Mindset.
• Setting Expectations and Holding your Teams Accountable.   

SOAR (Seeking Opportunities, Aspirations and Results) Nurse Externship: One Program, Two Pathways

In the unique SOAR program, nursing students attend the Nurse Extern Academy and work in various clinical settings to increase their confidence and enhanced post-graduation readiness to practice in Nurse Residency.

During the program, nursing students participate in professional development and skill sessions, receive support from staff and educators on their way to obtaining nurse extern competencies.

The externship is a great opportunity for nursing students to put what they’ve learned in school into clinical reality and building relationships within the practice environment.

In our flex extern pathway, L.P.N.s and R.N. Students:

• Enjoy continued employment until graduation with flexible hours and days (no set shifts)
• Are placed in various clinical settings
• Have paid shadow experiences with a licensed nurse
  • Work 12 hours a month (minimum) with four hours of accrued shadow time
  • Work more than 24 hours a month with eight hours of accrued shadow time

In our summer extern pathway, R.N. Students:

• Have temporary employment during the eight-week program
• Work 1:1 with a nurse mentor in two clinical areas, four weeks on adult inpatient or ambulatory care setting and four weeks on a specialty unit
• Spend 24-40 hours per week following the nurse mentors’ schedule
• Participate in professional development and skill sessions
• Obtain nurse extern competencies
• Receive support from the Transition to Practice Department and Unit Educators

To apply for our SOAR program, click the link below that corresponds with your career path:

LPN students

RN students

To learn more about the program, contact Brittany Ashwell, Transition to Practice Facilitator, at:
mailto:bntingler@carilionclinic.org

All of our hospitals now offer a year-long Nurse Residency Program (NRP) to new graduate nurses and nurses with less than one year of experience.

The program is in addition to current learning and training and will partner with Vizient/AACN to provide the curriculum.

It is a great opportunity for new grads and less-experienced nurses to have an extra layer of support as they begin their career. The residency program will build upon our strong foundation in nursing, both at the bedside and within the organization, by developing the professional role.

Apply today to begin your career with us. Visit CarilionClinic.org/careers to begin the process.

Program Information

Monthly four-hour cohort sessions will provide necessary support for nurse residents in their transition to professional practice and foster critical thinking and leadership skills.

The curriculum focuses on three key areas:

1. Leadership
   • Patient care delivery, resource management and delegation
   • Interprofessional communication
   • Conflict resolution
   • Patient care coordination
2. Quality Outcomes
   • Safety and quality
   • Patient/family teaching
   • Pain management
   • Fall prevention
3. Professional Role
   • Ethical decision making
   • End-of-life care
   • Cultural competence in the nursing care environment
   • Evidence-based practice

To learn more about the program, email us at nurseresidency@carilionclinic.org.

We are a non-profit health care organization based in Roanoke, Va. Through our network of hospitals, primary and specialty physician practices and other complementary services, we provide quality care close to home for nearly one million Virginians.

Our nurses work in a variety of locations and settings. Some work in Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital, the region’s only designated Level I Trauma Center for adult and pediatric patients, or in one of our six community hospitals. All of our hospitals are accredited by The Joint Commission, the internationally recognized symbol of health care quality.

Others work in one of our 40 Family Medicine locations, seven VelocityCare urgent care locations, Carilion Children’s Tanglewood Center, the Institute for Orthopaedics and Neurosciences or other specialty care locations. There are also opportunities outside of clinical settings, like in Home Health and Hospice. To see all of our locations, browse through the Locations pages.

Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital has been honored with many designations, including:

• Primary PCI accredited Chest Pain Center by the American College of Cardiology
• Four-time Magnet designee for nursing excellence by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (includesd Carilion Roanoke Community Hospital)
• Primary Stroke Center by The Joint Commission
• “Gold Seal of Approval” certification for total hip and knee replacement surgery by The Joint Commission
• ACE accreditation for cardiac catheterization
• Center of Excellence for Cardiac Surgical Unit Advanced Life Support by CSU-ALS North America
• Shared Governance Accreditation by the Forum for Shared Governance
• Age-Friendly Health System Participant by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement

Many of our community hospitals have also received designations, including:

• Pathway to Excellence designation by the American Nursing Credentialing Center (Carilion New River Valley Medical Center)
• We Honor Veterans Hospice Partner Level 5 Regional Mentor by the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (Hospice NRV and Franklin)
• Ventricular Assist Device accreditation from DNV GL–Healthcare and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)

Our Region

Our communities in western Virginia have consistently been rated among the “best places to live” in the nation. The area has exceptional schools, a low cost of living, inexpensive real estate and abundant outdoor activities in settings that include the Blue Ridge Parkway, Appalachian Trail, Smith Mountain Lake and many, many others. Learn more about our beautiful region!

• Virginia Tourism Corporation
• Virginia’s Blue Ridge Region
• The New River Valley of Virginia
• Blue Ridge Parkway