UW Medical Center - Northwest provides a great work environment for nurses. We show our commitment to nursing excellence with welcoming, supportive onboarding programs, ongoing educational opportunities, advanced training, opportunities to contribute to decision-making committees and special projects.
Advancement opportunities
UW Medical Center - Northwest is committed helping you develop and grow in your career path. To help you get there, we offer a variety of leadership development classes to help you grow in to the following opportunities:
- Clinical coordinator
- Clinical educator
- Clinical nurse specialist
- Nurse practitioner
- Nursing supervisor
- Nursing unit manager
Educational opportunities
UW Medical Center - Northwest encourages you to move forward with your career and provides financial assistance and training to help you get there. Opportunities include:
- Onsite advanced cardiac life support and basic life support programs – either in classrooms or online with simulation center support
- Crisis Prevention Institute training
- UW Medicine system opportunities such as preceptor training, medical/surgical certification prep class and many more
- Active member of obstetrics, critical care and operating room specialty training consortiums
- Multiple UW Medical Center - Northwest sponsored projects and classes on a wide variety of subjects
- A teaching facility with students at the undergraduate and graduate level
- Support from UW Clinical Informatics educators to support effective use of our electronic medical record
- Multiple clinical committees and initiatives with active nursing participation
- Multiple advanced practice nurses in both clinical nurse specialist and nurse practitioner roles
- Paid education hours and continuing education tuition assistance
Specialty training programs
UW Medical Center - Northwest encourages nurses to explore their interests in a variety of nursing specialties. The specialty training program is a 12-18-week program designed for experienced nurses interested in moving into a new specialty area.
The program is structured to provide a gradual increase in responsibility and independence while integrating theoretical and critical components. During the program, each participant will be assigned a clinical preceptor. Many of the specialty training programs also contain a significant teaching component along with the clinical experience.
To find out which clinical areas are currently offering specialty training opportunities, please contact Human Resources at 206.668.1785.
Acute care residency
The Acute Care Residency is a great way for nurses with two years of experience in ambulatory, residential or long-term care to cross over into the acute care setting.
During the course of your residency you'll experience:
- Expert, supportive preceptors to help you develop your clinical skills, delegation, time management and professional practice
- Educators, clinical nurse specialists and nursing leaders who are invested in your individualized learning plan
- Seminars and simulation experiences to deepen your knowledge of evidence-based nursing practice
- Initial practice on a designated "Safety Unit" with nursing staff experienced in supporting novice professionals to quickly build their skills
- The supportive nursing environment of UW Medical Center - Northwest and UW Medicine
- One week of orientation
- Two weeks on the designated safety unit
- One shift of an observational experience that will complement your unit-specific learning
- Four to six weeks in your chosen specialty
UW Medical Center - Northwest pays your salary, the instructor and preceptor salaries and all other program costs.
We give priority to those who have a passion for working in a community-based hospital and providing the highest quality care. It's our goal to retain all of the Crossover RNs as UW Medical Center – Northwest nurses for years to come.
- External applicants should apply through our employment website. Select "External Applicants"
- There is a manager and peer interview process to select nurses to participate in this program
New Graduate RN Residency
This program supports nurses who've recently graduated from an accredited nursing program and passed their Washington State RN Boards transition into professional practice. During the course of your residency, you'll experience:
- Trained and supportive preceptors to help you to develop your clinical skills, delegation, time management and professional practice
- Educators, clinical nurse specialists and nursing leaders who are invested in your individualized learning plan
- Seminars and simulation experiences to deepen your knowledge of evidence-based nursing practice
- Initial practice on a designated "safety unit" with experienced nursing staff who are trained to support novice professionals and help them to build their skills quickly
- Participation in an evidence-based practice project under the guidance of a specialty or advanced practice nurse that will benefit UW Medical Center - Northwest
- The supportive nursing environment of UW Medical Center - Northwest and UW Medicine
Residency varies by specialty and by the needs of each resident. In general there is:
- One week of orientation
- Two to four weeks on the designated safety unit
- One shift of an observational experience that will complement your unit-specific learning
- One to two months in your chosen specialty
UW Medical Center - Northwest pays your salary, the instructor and preceptor salaries and all other program costs.
We give priority to those who have a passion for working in a community-based hospital and providing the highest quality care. It's our goal to retain all of the graduates of our RN Residency program as UW Medical Center - Northwest nurses for years to come.
Internal applicants: Apply through our employment website
OR
go to https://uwhires.admin.washington.edu/ENG/ and select "Employees"
- Notify your manager to tell them about your interest in this program after graduation from nursing school. As soon as we know your projected graduation date, we can place you on the notification list for the cohort closest to your graduation date which will start the interview/selection process
Nursing safety
In support of nursing safety, we've developed nurse staffing and acuity committees.
Our Nurse Staffing Committee consists of RN staff nurses and hospital management. It works closely with our Acuity Committee to protect patients, support greater retention of registered nurses and promote evidence-based nurse staffing.
Nurses and hospital management share decision-making about nurse staffing. Meetings are held monthly and annual reliability tests are conducted to ensure accuracy in acuities.
WISH Simulation Center
UW Medical Center - Northwest employees can take advantage of hands-on training in our WISH Simulation Center.
The simulation center provides opportunities to test clinical and decision-making skills while "treating" a wide variety of health conditions on computerized simulators that are much more than mannequins: they breathe, cough and cry. Their skin can be cut by scalpels and their veins injected with medicines.
In addition, task trainers help participants learn procedures like placing ventilator tubes and intravenous lines. Simulation models include adults, children and a pregnant female and her infant.