Mississippi System Launches Nurse Residency Program
Singing River Health System in Pascagoula, Mississippi, has launched its first yearlong nurse residency program. The initiative aims to support new graduates' transition from school to clinical practice, addressing readiness gaps and improving workforce retention in a field facing significant shortages.
- The Singing River program is led by Chief Nursing Officer Rachel Kemp and its first cohort in spring 2026 includes nearly 40 residents entering specialties like Emergency, Intensive Care, and Labor and Delivery. The year-long initiative is built on mentorship, advanced simulation labs, and peer-to-peer support meetings to build confidence and reduce first-year burnout. - Nurse residency programs are a response to high national turnover rates for new graduates, which can be as high as 31.7% within their first year of practice. Studies show these programs significantly improve retention, with some established programs reporting one-year retention rates above 90%, compared to a national average of 82.5%. - This initiative enters a critical environment, as Mississippi reported around 1,500 nursing vacancies in 2023 with turnover rates exceeding 20%. State data shows only 1.3% of Mississippi's nursing workforce specializes in women's health and just 8% in maternal-child health. - The program launches against a backdrop of a severe maternal health crisis in Mississippi, which for the 17th consecutive year received a failing grade from the March of Dimes for maternal and infant health. The state has the highest preterm birth rate in the nation at 15% and an infant mortality rate of 8.9 deaths per 1,000 live births, compared to the national average of 5.6. - A key challenge in the state is access to care, with over half of Mississippi's counties classified as "maternity care deserts" lacking any obstetric providers or birthing hospitals. In response, the Mississippi State Department of Health implemented a new statewide OB System of Care in February 2026 to better coordinate emergency hospital care for expectant mothers. - For Certified Nurse-Midwives (CNMs) in Mississippi, practice is restricted by a "reduced practice authority" model that requires them to have a formal collaborative agreement with a physician. In January 2026, the American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM) filed a federal lawsuit challenging this requirement, arguing it limits access to care.
