After graduation, it is recommended that nurse practitioners complete a postgraduate nurse practitioner residency to further develop their practice skills. Samford’s paid 12-month primary care nurse practitioner residency program will build on the family nurse practitioner educational program by further developing the clinical and professional confidence necessary for efficient, effective and productive clinical practice.
The residency will develop participants into essential members of the interprofessional health care team by exposing them to high-quality, patient-centered care in primary care community-based settings.
Residents will hone skills in ordering, performing and interpreting diagnostic tests, diagnosing and treating chronic conditions, prescribing medications and other treatments, managing patients' care, counseling and providing education related to disease prevention and health promotion.
Residency Placement
Residents will be placed in community-based clinical partnerships located in several Alabama counties: current clinical partners are located in Jefferson, Shelby, and Pickens Counties.
The purpose of the program is to afford residents the opportunity to work alongside preceptors, case by case, reducing direct oversight as the year progresses and the residents' skills enhance. Though residents enter the program certified to practice primary care independently, the mission of the residency is to reinforce their knowledge in the context of the complexity of needs common to community-based clinics.
Admission Requirements and Criteria
In order to be considered for the residency program, applicants must meet the following criteria. Should any conditions not be met, the applicant may be considered on an individual basis.
- Unencumbered Alabama or multistate registered nursing license.
- Graduate of a primary care family nurse practitioner graduate program within the previous 18 months of the entry date.
- Family Nurse Practitioner certification from ANCC or AANP before the entry date.
- Be a citizen of the United States, a non-citizen national, or a foreign national who possesses a visa permitting permanent residence in the United States (Individuals on temporary or student visas are not eligible to receive program support)
- Cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale in graduate nursing courses
- American citizens or Permanent Residents who learned English as a second language must score at least 575 (paper) or 90 (internet) on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)
Admission Deadline
- Application Opens: December 15
- Application Closes: February 15
- Entry Date: January 1 - February 28
Application Process
Applications to the Nurse Practitioner Residency program are submitted online under SAMFORD CAREER OPPORTUNITIES.
If accepted, the nurse practitioner resident must:
- Send official transcripts electronically to admission@samford.edu or by mail to Office of Admission: 800 Lakeshore Drive, Birmingham, AL 35229
- Sign a Statement of Commitment (Form PHS 2271)
- Commit to a full-time residency program including didactic learning and immersive clinical training in a community-based clinic
- Acquire and maintain a collaborative practice agreement with a qualified physician at the assigned community-based entity
- Attend on-campus visits, as scheduled
- Provide data regarding professional activity following completion of the nurse practitioner residency program; and
- Obtain a National Provider Identifier (NPI) number.
If accepted, a non-refundable deposit of $550 is required to secure admission in the residency.
This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for an award totaling $6,196,400. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by HRSA, HHS, or the U.S. Government. For more information, please visit HRSA.gov.
