Job Description

Students graduating December 2025 or sooner - Join us on June 2, 2025 at our Newark Campus for a Nurse Residency Open House. Click here: to register and for more information.

Application will be open until 11:59pm August 13th

Calling all Senior Nursing Students, Nurse Graduates and new RNs, it is time to apply for our Operating Room Nurse Residency Program starting Spring 2026!

The ChristianaCare Nurse Residency Program is accredited with distinction as a Practice Transition Program by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation in Practice Transition Programs.

Research validates that new to practice nurses completing a structured and accredited residency program leads to:

• increase in competency
• reduction of error
• reduced self-reported stress
• increased job satisfaction

Therefore, we are committed to supporting all registered nurses with under one year of experience through a nurse residency specialty track.

This exciting curriculum integrates:

• Lecture and simulation education
• Peer support
• Preceptor-led clinical experiences structured to foster critical thinking, evidence-based practice, interdisciplinary collaboration, effective communication, quality and safety, and professional development.

The Operating Room Nurse is an integral part of a patient-focused multidisciplinary team dedicated to providing quality care to surgical patients. Nurse Residents will learn the foundations and principles of surgery and of the patients’ surgical experience. The 26- week program includes simulation, didactic, and clinical experience. Experienced perioperative preceptors are assigned to each student for the clinical experience and competencies are completed each clinical week. Classes and simulation are held on the Christiana Campus in classrooms and the Virtual Education and Simulation Training Center. Clinical orientation continues in the Christiana Hospital or Wilmington Hospital Operating Room. The 26- week preceptor led program will be followed by continued residency meetings during months 8, 10, and 12 to further develop as professional nurses and integral members of our caregiver team.

Nurse residents are required to pass State Boards and be licensed as a RN in the State of Delaware (or compact state) prior to starting position. Upon hire, a commitment agreement to work at the ChristianaCare will be signed. The agreement requires completion of two years within ChristianaCare and 15 months of those two years on the unit of hire. Individuals unable to fill this commitment will be charged $10,000.

Requirements:

• Graduating from accredited nursing school before March 2026 (BSN Preferred)
• BLS required
• Eligible for Delaware license as a Registered Nurse or Compact RN license

How to apply:

• Submit a cover letter for the Operating Room Nurse Residency expressing your interest in this specific program/specialty.
• Please address the cover letter to Karen Brady.
• Resume
• Transcript (unofficial)
• Two clinical recommendations will be required, but not at the time of the application. If it is determined the minimum qualifications are met, a separate email will be sent from an outside vendor for you to provide us with your clinical instructors’ information.

What to Expect After Application and Timeline:

• Communication from Talent Acquisition Team about specific next steps including: video interview and clinical references completed through third party vendors HireVue and SkillSurvey (respectively).
• Applications to be sent for review by residency coordinators on August 25th . The required tasks (SkillSurvey and HireVue) must be completed BEFORE August 25th in order to be considered. 
• Digital real-time interviews will begin end of September and run until mid-October..
• Offers to be made in mid-October.
• Nurse Residency Positions start beginning of April 2026

If you have any issues with your application or any inquiries, please contact Lenny Merrick, the Nurse Residency recruiter at Lynell.J.Merrick@christianacare.org

It is important to note that the DE licensing process may take 6-8 weeks to complete and the failure to do so will directly impact employees' ability to start a position if an offer is made. We strongly encourage applicants to visit the DE Board of Nursing website and begin the fingerprinting and background check process immediately after you submit your application.

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