“Education for these nurses is a small piece of what we provide.”

As a Logan Health RN Residency Coordinator, Marlayna Gran has been supporting new nurses who join the health system for the past three and a half years. She mentors and teaches nurses during the first year of their professional careers, providing structured support through Logan Health’s New Graduate RN Residency Program. Recently, Gran earned a national certification for nursing professional development (NPD), a huge asset to her ability to support the program further.

The Logan Health RN Residency Program is accredited as a Practice Transition Accreditation Program through the American Nursing Credentialing Center (ANCC) and is meant to provide new nurses with extensive orientation, hands-on skills training, professional development, mentorship, and education. For Gran, the program is about teaching nurses to invest in themselves for the sake of their patients and their own professional growth. “This certification provided me the tools to support our nurses and clinical staff in a way that not only builds clinical competence but provides a structure for providing quality care and facilitates process improvement.”

According to Gran, education is just one part of the curriculum these new nurses go through. “We develop emotional intelligence, teach them how mindfulness improves the nurse and patient experience, provide a safe and supportive environment, and so much more.”

Gran has been providing patient care at Logan Health for over 10 years in various roles, including certified nursing assistant, licensed practice nurse, bedside nurse and shift unit supervisor. Her background in social work helped to prepare her for patient care in a clinical setting. “When I joined as a CNA, I was looking for a way to use my skills to help my community members in a more robust way,” she says. “It was a natural transition into the clinical setting.”

As a bedside nurse, Gran found the most joy in her career in precepting new nurses. Gran now has the opportunity to watch nurses flourish because of the relationships they build and the professional development they go through during the program. “We teach nurses to invest in themselves for the sake of quality care for our patients and creating value for themselves.”

She has also prioritized her own professional growth, going on the same journey as her students – growing professionally and building a team of mentors and relationships in the health care industry. For Gran, investing in your own role as a nurse is the key to retention and providing high-quality care.

Along with growing through her clinical roles, Gran has been furthering her education by earning her NPD certification and working towards a master’s in nursing leadership management. “I’ve had a great team of mentors through this journey,” she says. Her ambitions don’t stop with education, though. She is currently collaborating with key thought leaders in the nursing industry across the country to focus on the nurse and patient experience.

“I’m grateful for the incredible team of care providers here, from nutrition services and housekeepers to our advanced practice providers, who give care back to the community.” She is especially thankful for the mentors who push and encourage her growth for the sake of the nurses here at Logan Health.

Marlayna works collaboratively with an entire team to coordinate the success of this program, including her fellow RN Residency Coordinator, Teri Steffens, and a team of clinical educators to facilitate classes and skills tracks. Together, they work tirelessly to coach, mentor and support the residents’ growth.