VA Nursing Academic Partnership

Supporting our veterans while transforming nursing education and practice.

About the Providence VA Nursing Academic Partnership

The Providence VA Healthcare System is a 73-bed facility that provides tertiary medical, surgical and psychiatric care and a full range of outpatient services. The VA Providence HCS mission is to honor America's Veterans by providing exceptional healthcare that improves their health and wellbeing. The organization’s vision is to continue to be the benchmark of excellence and value in healthcare and benefits by providing exemplary services that are both veteran-centered and evidence-based.

Inspired to develop a strong academic practice model, nursing leaders of the VA Providence HCS (VAPHS) and the Rhode Island College Zvart Onanian School of Nursing formalized a partnership to address the serious shortage of registered nurses and nurse educators in 2008. The partnership has developed into a comprehensive partnership program to transform nursing education and practice. The partnership members include nursing leaders, faculty, staff, and students. The partnership is founded on a profound shared mission: serving vulnerable populations, promoting nursing excellence, and providing high quality health care. The mission is embodied in the following programs:

Undergraduate Nursing Courses:

Undergraduate courses through the VANAP program at the VA Providence HCS offered every fall and spring:

NURS 340 – Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing (Clinical)
NURS 370 – Public and Community Health Nursing (Clinical)
NURS 375- Transition to Professional Nursing (Clinical)

Undergraduate courses through the VANAP partnership at the Rhode Island Veterans Home in Bristol, Rhode Island
NURS 223 – Fundamentals of Nursing Practice (Clinical)

Graduate nursing courses available by arrangement.

VANAP Program Director:
Sheri Boucher, DNP, MSN, RN
Assistant Professor

PBRN-R Program Coordinator:
Jill Lizotte, MSN, RN, NDP-BC
VA Providence HCS

Opportunities for Student Nurses:

VA Providence HCS PBRN-R Program

VA Providence HCS PBRN-R Program is a program designed to provide the knowledge, skills, and guidance to BSN graduates in their FIRST RN role. The PBRN-R program is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. The PBRN-R Program has been accredited since 2016.

PBRN-R Mission and Goals Statement: The mission of the VA Providence HCS Post-Baccalaureate Registered Nurse Residency program is to support the transition of the entry-level, advanced beginner nurse to a competent, confident professional nurse. This is accomplished in partnership with Rhode Island College Zvart Onanian School of Nursing (RICSON) with the goal of preparing nurses to provide safe, high quality care for our nation’s Veterans. The specific goals of the program for the new graduate nurse upon completion of the residency are:

Successful transition to competent nurse
Competency in effective decision-making skills related to clinical judgment and performance
Competency in clinical leadership at the point of care
Strong commitment to nursing as a career choice
Incorporates research-based evidence into professional practice
Formulates an individual career development

If interested, contact Jill Lizotte before March 1st for an application.