- Nurse residency
- A structured, months-long program that supports newly licensed RNs' transition from school to independent practice, combining bedside work with didactics, simulation, and mentoring.
- Nurse fellowship
- Often used interchangeably with residency, but sometimes denotes a program for experienced nurses moving into a new specialty (e.g., an ICU fellowship).
- Transition to practice (TTP)
- The umbrella concept — and sometimes the program name — for structured support during a nurse's first year of practice.
- ANCC PTAP
- Practice Transition Accreditation Program, the American Nurses Credentialing Center's accreditation standard for residency/fellowship programs. See our accreditation guide.
- Vizient/AACN NRP
- A widely adopted, standardized 12-month nurse residency curriculum co-developed by Vizient and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing.
- Preceptor
- An experienced nurse who provides one-on-one bedside training and evaluation during your orientation and residency.
- Mentor
- A nurse — usually separate from your preceptor — who supports your professional and emotional transition over a longer horizon.
- Cohort
- The group of residents who start together and progress through the program alongside you.
- New-grad RN
- A registered nurse in roughly their first year of practice after licensure — the primary audience for residencies.
- Med-surg
- Medical-surgical nursing, the broad general adult inpatient specialty that is the most common residency track and a foundation for others.
- Service commitment
- A period (often 1–2 years) you agree to work for the employer in exchange for the residency training; leaving early may carry a repayment clause.
- Accreditation
- Independent verification that a program meets national quality standards — the strongest single signal of a serious residency.
Ready to apply the vocabulary? Browse programs by specialty or read how to choose a program.