About Nursing at Waterbury Hospital
If you are looking for a nursing career at a community hospital with opportunities for advancement, consider Waterbury Hospital.
Nurses choose to work at Waterbury Hospitals for a variety of reasons, but they stay for the culture of teamwork emphasized at our hospital. Our nurses have the opportunity to collaborate with all disciplines of the healthcare team to enhance communication and patient care skills in a multicultural environment.
Our nurses work in an environment that is safe for themselves and our patients and are encouraged to advance their careers by changing specialties and going from low- to high-acuity patient care units. This also includes opportunities to move into leadership roles.
If you are caring and compassionate and are interested in joining our team of dedicated, professional nurses, we’d love to welcome you to Waterbury Hospital where our goal is to provide quality, compassionate, accessible care to everyone.
Nursing Governance Model
The Department of Nursing’s Shared Governance model at Waterbury Hospital provides an organizational structure that promotes a patient-centered environment and nursing practice that is characterized by professional accountability, collegial communication and problem solving. The model is based on principles of partnership, collective decision making, equity, accountability and ownership at the point of care. Nurses at all levels have a voice in determining nursing practice, standards and quality of care. The advantages of being a nurse at Waterbury Hospital are two fold in that we empower nurses to use their clinical knowledge and expertise to develop, direct and sustain professional practice. We allow nurses to network with colleagues and to collaborate among units and departments.
Career Ladder Program
Our Practice of Nursing at Waterbury Hospital upholds the Standards of Clinical Nursing Practice from the American Nurses Association. The Career Ladder program is designed to recognize excellence in practice in the profession of nursing. It is based on the valued principles of caring and excellence.
The Career Ladder program is based on Patricia Benner’s Clinical Nursing Practice conceptual model of novice to expert by providing rewards and recognition for experience and professional contributions. Though advancement is voluntary, every nurse maintains high standards of care by upholding the nursing process of assessment, diagnosis, planning, implementation, and evaluation in their delivery of patient care.
Options for advancement in the Career Ladder foster growth in professional performance, including the areas of quality of care, peer review, education, collegiality, ethics, collaboration, research and resource utilization.
Waterbury Hospital Graduate Nurse Program
Graduate Nurse Residency Program
Waterbury Hospital provides new graduate nurses the opportunity to participate in a 12-month supportive paid Nurse Residency Program designed to facilitate newly licensed nurses’ successful transition into clinical practice by providing support, resources, and mentorship. This program is designed to provide new nurses with the tools to successfully navigate their professional nursing journey help them gain confidence and increase competence during their first year. Nurse Residents will be hired directly to a specialty area where they will receive focused 1:1 training with a nurse preceptor. In addition to clinical immersion on the unit, Nurse Residents meet in a classroom format throughout their first year to share experiences and participate in learning activities. Each resident will develop and implement an evidence-based teaching project over the course of the program.
Who is eligible for/enrolled in the Nurse Residency Program at Waterbury Hospital?
• Every newly licensed RN (completion of NCLEX with active CT RN license) with less than one-year
experience
• Program enrollment is based on hire date (summer cohorts are automatically enrolled)
Graduates of this 12-month program will:
• Gain nursing leadership skills that drive performance and enhance patient care
- Develop higher levels of competence, critical thinking, and clinical judgment
- Incorporate research-based evidence into their practices to advance safe, high-quality nursing care
• Successfully navigate high acuity environments and collaborate with interdisciplinary team members - Meet regularly with educator/mentor to reflect on experience and discuss opportunities for growth
- Develop and implement an evidence-based teaching project to address a clinical practice gap
Waterbury Hospital benefit options for registered nurses:
- Competitive pay – including generous differentials
- Educational Tuition Reimbursement and Student Loan Repayment options
- Health, dental and vision 
- Paid Time Off (vacation/sick/holiday)
- Sign on bonuses
- Generous student loan forgiveness
- Defined Benefit Pension
- 401K retirement savings
- Elective benefits, including identity protection
- Clinical Ladders
- Free on-site parking
We are currently hiring for Summer 2024 residency cohorts.
Qualifications:
Education: Graduate of an accredited school of nursing. Senior nursing students are encouraged to apply prior to graduation.
Experience: New RN Graduate Nurses or newly licensed RNs.
License and Certification:
Active State of CT RN license. New graduates may start employment once they successfully pass the NCLEX. Once active state of CT RN license is confirmed, newly licensed nurse will be placed into Nurse Residency Program cohort.
If you’d like to make a difference in patient care, are community-oriented and are looking for an opportunity to advance your career, consider Waterbury Hospitals.
Why Nurses Choose Us
- Competitive pay and sign-on bonuses
- Employer paid pension plan - 75% of weekly earning for life
- Generous student loan forgiveness up to $30K
- Education reimbursement
- Opportunity for training in specialty areas
- Medical, dental, vision and life insurance benefits
- Long- and short-term disability
- Flexible spending accounts (FSAs)
- 401(k)
- Online learning and career advancement through HealthStream
- Strong new graduate program
- Advancement opportunities
Join our nursing team today
Waterbury Hospital has full and part-time nursing positions available. If you are a new grad or an experienced RN, we have a great opportunity for you.