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Residency Training Program

The RN Residency Program at Keck Medical Center of USC is offered twice a year: April and September.

Application periods:

  • April 2025 cohort is from January 6, 2025, to January 20, 2025.

Review the list of specialties covered by our program.

Please apply to any “RN Staff” job titles in Telemetry, Stepdown and ICU departments with availability.

To view available opportunities, please click here.

Why is Versant® RN Residency Program at Keck Medical Center of USC Right for You?

  • One-­to-­One Preceptors
  • Classroom and Skills Lab Education
  • Caring and Committed Mentors
  • Designed for New Graduate Nurses Individualized Rotation and Orientation
  • Self-­care / Support Groups
  • Excellent Teamwork
  • Gradual Novice to Expert Transition

Become part of a nursing community that wants to help each other succeed!

As a RN Resident, you are hired into the facility as a full-­time employee. Upon successful completion of this paid residency, you will be prepared to work as a full-­time, independent professional RN on your unit.

About Versant®RN Residency Program

Versant® (pronounced VER-sent) is an evidence-­based, comprehensive educational and training residency designed to transition newly graduated nurses from student to safe, confident and competent professional practitioners.

Highly Supportive Program That Utilizes and Provides:

  • Married State Preceptor Concept
    • Allows the resident to gain confidence, develop time management and prioritization skills through:
      • Working side-by-side the entire shift
      • Performing tasks together
      • Open communication/shared dialogue
      • Tackling problems/changes in real time
  • Mentor Sessions
    • Promote professional growth and development through reassurance in a supportive and confidential relationship
  • Debriefing Sessions
    • A confidential discussion that provides support to the resident with coping mechanisms, self-care techniques, dealing with work-related challenges (e.g. conflict resolution, communication with physicians, stress, etc.).

Appropriately Paced Learning Experience:

  • The Versant RN Residency is the start of a Journey from Knowledge to Knowing®, moving towards competent performance at the bedside, “One Nurse at a Time™”.
  • 12 – 16 week program
  • Week 1 – 7:
    • Two 8-hour days in a classroom setting
    • Two 12-hour days in a clinical setting with your preceptor
  • Week 8 – 12 (16):
    • Classroom days reduce or begin focusing on specialty content
    • Clinical days increase
  • Utilizing Dr. Patricia Benner’s “Novice to Expert” Model, you will be paired with different-level nurse preceptors over the course of the residency to allow a natural progression of knowledge and comfort.

Requirements to Qualify for the New Graduate Nurses Program:

  • Less than one year of acute care hospital-based experience as a licensed RN prior to start
  • A 3.0 nursing GPA or above
  • A 2-year commitment
  • Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing required at the time of application.
  • A current Basic Life Support (BLS) certification for healthcare provider from the American Heart Association
  • An Advanced Cardiac Life Support requirement
  • A Fire and Safety card must be presented upon hire or must be obtained at our facility within the first 30 days of hire, and maintained by renewing before the expiration date.

A complete application will include:

    1. An online application
    2. A resume – Upload your resume only under the first screen “Quick Apply”Please read the instructions carefully because you will only have one opportunity to upload all of the required documents. Scan and convert to a PDF all documents outlined in numbers 3 through 5 into one single file not to exceed a maximum data of 5 megabytes. You will upload the documents in the “My Experience” section of the application under “Resume/CV”. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
    3. A cover letter
      1. Upload cover letter attachment – Please indicate your first and second choices in unit within your cover letter.
    4. The personal statement should bring out your personality. Tell us what being a nurse means to you, and what you will bring to the profession and to USC. Please also indicate your unit(s) of interest. You may select up to two units. The personal statement should not exceed two pages.
    5. Unofficial transcripts (upload as other document)
    6. Two (2) letters of recommendation on school letterhead (Experienced nurses should obtain letters of recommendation from work colleague(s) and/or manager(s).)
      • Upload as letters of reference
      • Must be from your clinical instructors at your school of instruction from which you received your nursing degree.
      • The letters may be submitted directly from the clinical instructor or uploaded online by one (1) of the following methods:
        1. In a sealed envelope to Human Resources Department, c/o Nurse Recruitment, 2011 N. Soto St., Suite 1100, Los Angeles, CA 90032
        2. Emailed to Human Resources at jobs@med.usc.edu
        3. Uploaded with your online application. You may submit additional letters if you choose, however, additional letters are not required.

The University of Southern California values diversity, and is committed to equal opportunity in employment.

Our hospitals are committed to supporting the success and quality of each individual nurse. To learn more about Versant®, go to www.versant.org