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Covenant Health Nurse Residency Program Earns National Accreditation with Distinction   

  • 3 minute read.
  • Last Updated: 1/7/2026

At Covenant Health, we believe that supporting nurses at the very start of their careers is essential to building strong teams and delivering exceptional patient care. That’s why we’re proud to announce that our Nurse Residency Program has earned the Accreditation with Distinction designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). This is the highest recognition ANCC’s Practice Transition Accreditation Program (PTAP) offers.   

“Covenant Health is committed to providing excellent continuing education for our nurses, who are critical to our mission to provide compassionate, patient-driven care,” said Jim VanderSteeg, Covenant Health President and CEO. “This distinguished recognition is gratifying and really demonstrates our top-tier standards and evidence-based results.”

A group of healthcare professionals in scrubs stand in a hospital hallway, talking and holding clipboards.

Building Confidence and Clinical Excellence   

Our Nurse Residency Program helps new nurses grow into their roles through structured, evidence-based training. Each nurse joins a cohort at one of our 10 participating sites. They receive paid residency sessions as part of their work schedule.   

“We have been really focused on developing collaborative strategies to recruit, train and support amazing nurses and we’ve seen a lot of success,” said Debbi Honey, senior vice president and chief nursing officer at Covenant Health. “While much of the country is experiencing nursing shortages, we have more nurses preparing to join Covenant than ever before.” 

Through hands-on learning and mentorship, nurses develop critical thinking, clinical decision-making and leadership skills. Training includes both real-life and simulated scenarios such as code strokes, rapid responses, IV placement and dressing changes. Cohorts also benefit from expert guest sessions covering topics ranging from service animals to legal concerns in healthcare.   

Recognized as a Best Practice   

During the accreditation process, surveys of nurse participants revealed overwhelmingly positive feedback. Nurses praised the program’s thorough training, supportive mentors, and high ethical standards.   

ANCC appraisers classified Covenant Health’s clinical coaching program as a “best practice,” highlighting our formal mentor selection process and recommending that our strategies be shared with other residency programs nationwide.   

A Pathway to Growth   

At Covenant Health, we demonstrate the value of professional growth through pay raises. Upon successful completion of the residency and one year of employment, nurses receive an automatic promotion and raise.  

The Accreditation with Distinction designation applies to 10 Covenant Health sites, including:   

  • Covenant Health Roane
  • Cumberland Medical Center   
  • Fort Loudoun Medical Center   
  • Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center   
  • LeConte Medical Center   
  • Methodist Medical Center of Oak Ridge   
  • Morristown-Hamblen Healthcare System   
  • Parkwest Medical Center   
  • Peninsula Behavioral Health  
  • Thompson Cancer Survival Center   

Join Our Team 

Nurses in our residency program gain experience in diverse practice settings, from medical-surgical and oncology to critical care, labor and delivery, psychiatric, and emergency departments.   

Ready to begin your nursing career with a health system that invests in your growth? Learn more about our nurse residency program.  

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