Seventeen new registered nurses have joined the ranks of Good Shepherd Health Care System in Hermiston, representing the largest graduating class from the hospital’s nurse residency program since its inception.

A news release from the hospital called the number “nothing short of remarkable” for a rural hospital during a nationwide nursing shortage.

“This is truly exciting for us,” Vice President of Nursing Theresa Brock said in a statement. “We have an exceptional group of new graduate RNs who joined our program because they were either from the community, enjoyed their clinicals at Good Shepherd, were impressed by our onboarding process and even wanted to work in a rural community.”

The new nurses have begun working with an experienced nurse preceptor in their chosen area of specialty after completing an intensive learning experience that started on Aug. 29. Their preceptorship period will take up to a year, depending on the department.

There are two residents in the Family Birth Center, two in the Intensive Care Unit, six in the main patient care unit Medical-Surgical, two in Surgery and five in Emergency Services.

Nurse educator Phyllis Garcia, RN, said after the preceptorship graduates will come away with the confidence and experience to take on their own patient care assignments.

“I believe we extended an invitation to the right nurses to join our residency program and I feel confident that my profession is in good hands,” she said.

Good Shepherd’s next residency program will begin in August of 2017. Nurses expecting to graduate prior to August can apply for the 2017 program at www.gshealth.org/jobs or call Human Resources at 541-667-3546 for more information.