YNHH nurse coaching program earns statewide award

Clinical nurse transition coaches from the York Street and Saint Raphael campuses showed off the Connecticut Nurses Association’s Excellence in the Workplace Award plaque. The assocation honored YNHH’s Clinical Nurse Transition Coach program for providing education and mentoring to new nurses.

Yale New Haven Hospital’s Clinical Nurse Transition Coach (CNTC) program recently won the Connecticut Nurses Association’s Excellence in the Workplace Award. 

YNHH launched the CNTC program in 2019 to provide on-the-job coaching and mentoring to graduate nurses after they complete orientation.

The experienced nurses who serve as clinical nurse transition coaches teach clinical aspects of care and foster critical thinking skills such as prioritization, problem-solving, escalation of care and effective communication. Coaches work with graduate nurses for one year, during the 7 pm - 7 am shift weekdays and 24 hours on weekends.

The Connecticut Nurses Association award recognizes a work or practice setting that promotes nurses’ professional autonomy, control over nursing practice and/or an enhanced work environment.

Awardees may serve as models to other work settings and may be replicable in other departments within an organization or to other institutions.