Nurse residency programs: an essential requirement for nursing.

The number of new graduates who will be needed to fill positions in our acute-care hospitals is astounding. The hiring and precepting of this many inexperienced nurses will severely tax hospital resources. A sound plan must be developed to maintain quality of care and patient safety with the influx of so many new nurse graduates. New graduates also must have a positive learning experience in order to keep them in the nursing workforce. A residency program is essential for new graduates. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services must step to the plate and support accredited nurse residency programs with pass-through dollars.