Nurse Resident - BSN (Summer 2026)

NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR JULY AND AUGUST 2026 COHORTS

This application is only for the units listed below

Available departments (See full descriptions below)

• 1 North - Medical Nephrology
• 2 East - Ortho / Neuro Unit
• 2 South - General Surgery Unit
• 3 East - Onc / Neuro / Gen Med
• 3 North - Medical Unit
• Nursing Resource Team

Program Overview

The Kootenai Nurse Residency Program is an incredibly supportive program that transitions newly graduated nurses to the hospital setting. The program accepts only the most outstanding and committed applicants. The Nurse Residency is a full-time (36-40 hours / pay period), paid program that prepares new professional nurses with exemplary skills, knowledge, and experience in inpatient areas.

This is a year-long program that provides an innovative, person-centered support structure for the acquisition of evidence-based practice, standardization of knowledge, and skills to ensure our nurses are confidently prepared, supported, and engaged in their work. Nurse Residents learn through a combination of educational seminars, peer support discussions, simulation, and authentic patient experiences with the support of experienced preceptors / mentors. Kootenai Health is committed to providing Nurse Residents with the teaching, training, mentoring, and expertise needed for a successful career in nursing.

Hiring Process

Things to know

As a Nurse Resident, you will receive

Eligibility to participate in the Nurse Residency Program includes

Learn more about our teams

Cardiac Medical (3N) is a cardiology focused medical surgical unit. The population is primarily made up of patients with the following diagnosis : CHF, bradycardic and tachycardic arrhythmias, chest pain, NSTEMI, and pulmonary embolism. Many of these patients require continuous telemetry monitoring which is monitored by a central monitoring studio. Interventions typically seen for this patient population include echocardiograms, stress tests, cardiac catheterizations, pacemaker placement, heparin drips and antiarrhythmic medications. The cardiac medical unit does not care for patients requiring continuous antiarrhythmic drips or vasopressors. Further education consists of a basic cardiac rhythm interpretation class. 3N continues to take medical and surgical overflow patients as needed within scope.

Nephrology / Circle of Life (1N) the Nephrology population consists of patients with kidney disease (acute and chronic), a history of kidney transplants, significant electrolyte imbalances, fluid shifts and heart / liver failure. Both hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis are common treatments for our Nephrology patient population- both are done on the unit. Circle of Life patients are those who are near or at the end of life and are also cared for within our designated area of the unit. These important work facilitates giving patients the opportunity to be free of pain with family present, and to find comfort in their final moments. Caring for patients at the end of life is an opportunity for rich professional development and personal fulfillment for the nurses who have the privilege to do so.

General Surgical (2S) is a 30 bed medical / surgical unit that specializes in post-operative recovery of patients after the Recovery Room such as general surgical, genitourinary, general cardiothoracic, and general vascular. Additionally, 2 South cares for patients who may being cared for throughout the surgical care continuum such as pre-operative complications, post-operative complications as well as a variety of medical patients. Due to the wide variety of patients cared for on 2South, one could also expect to see multiple drains such as chest tubes, JP drains, ostomies, and foley catheters just to name a few.

Orthopedic / Neurosurgical (2E) Patient population consisting of our specialties in orthopedics, neuro surgeries, and traumas, as well as general medical / surgical patients. The unit does have remote telemetry monitoring if it is required. Our orthopedic patients are often treated for injuries of the bones and occasional elective joint surgeries. Neurosurgery is the specialty focused on surgical treatment of disorders that affect the brain, spinal cord, and cerebrovascular system. Often, we work with patients recovering from Craniotomies, Laminectomies and many other types of surgeries performed by our experienced care teams which is currently expanding. Our Trauma team treats everything from minor injuries including lacerations to fractures, to major complicated trauma involving multiple body systems. We have a heavy focus on getting our patients mobilized and back on their feet. 2 East has a culture of collaboration and teamwork.

Nurse Resource Team (NRT) is a float pool department where new graduates or nurse residents work in a variety of hospital wide service lines / care areas. The entry level float cluster includes the 5 medical-surgical departments, behavioral health your and adult units, and the Addiction Recovery unit. There are advanced float cluster tiers to advance into. Following completion of additional competencies and training some NRT support higher acute care areas including the Progressive Care unit, Emergency Department, and Critical Care. This department requires nurses to be efficient with time management and flexible in working with a variety of teams throughout the various service lines it supports. Nurses in the NRT participate in caring for a wide variety of patient populations and acuity's and must maintain competency and a high level of understanding in all specialties they work in.

Oncology / Neurology / Medical (3E) is a 37-bed acute care unit, Level 3 Epilepsy Center accredited by the National Association of Epilepsy Centers, and a Level 2 Stroke Center designated by The Idaho Time Sensitive Emergency Council. The unit is comprised of 9 bariatric life rooms, 5 positive pressure rooms, 3 negative pressure rooms, and 2 rooms equipped for epilepsy monitoring. Serving an adult population which includes active / acute seizure and / or seizure disorder, acute / history of stroke or stroke like symptoms, oncology / chemotherapy, Circle of Life, medical / neuro, and medical / surgical overflow. 3 East competencies include Stroke Care / National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), Epilepsy Monitoring (EMU), and Oncology / Chemotherapy administration. The unit culture is based on the Kootenai Health Way incorporating safety, compassion, engagement and the compassion care bundle.

Start your Nursing career at Kootenai Health!

Contact

Email acronnelly@kh.org or call (208) 625-3950

We look forward to getting to know you better!

Kootenai Health complies with applicable federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate based on race, color, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or sex. Kootenai Health does not exclude people or treat them differently because of race, color, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or sex.