New nursing accreditation may help motivate more students to work in Colorado Springs

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO)- Two Colorado Springs hospitals have been recognized for their nurse residency programs. This comes as the State of Colorado continues to struggle with a nursing shortage. 

According to the Vice President of Nursing Operations for Common Spirit, this accreditation means everything to him and his staff. He added that it's an affirmation of the work their nurses do year-round. This new accreditation also helps show community members and patients how reliable their nurses truly are. Both hospitals have leaders who focus on helping develop programs to transition their new nurses from their academic setting into their actual hospitals, like Penrose and St.Francis. 

"I think that as people are collecting information about where they want to work and where they want to start their careers, it is another data point for them to say this is a good place. This is a place that's going to take care of me and it's going to help me be successful," said Bryan Williams, Vice President of Nursing Operation for Common Spirit.

Williams added that this accreditation will hopefully help them recruit more nurses to work in Colorado Springs and southern Colorado in general.