In this episode, Kati Interviews Morgan Melancon MSN, RN, CCRN-K and Annabeth Davis, MSN, RN, NPD-BC about their unique nurse residency program at St. Jude’s.
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is a leading pediatric treatment and research facility located in Memphis, Tennessee, dedicated to finding cures for childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. Its mission is to advance the treatment and prevention of catastrophic illnesses in children through research and treatment. St. Jude provides care for patients regardless of their ability to pay.
This is a two-part episode. In this episode, we dig into their nurse residency program. The following episode will discuss oncology-specific topics.
Who You’ll Hear
Morgan Melancon MSN, RN, CCRN-K
Morgan Melancon is the director of Nursing Education and Professional Development at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis. As director, Melancon led the successful revision of the Nurse Residency and Nurse Externship programs, both achieving record high enrollment. She began her tenure at St. Jude in 2019 as the nursing professional development practitioner for the Intensive Care Unit before becoming manager of Nursing Education. Melancon holds an Executive Leadership MSN degree and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Memphis, as well as a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Louisiana State University. Prior to joining St. Jude, she spent 10 years providing care to pediatric critical care patients at LeBonheur Children’s Hospital in Memphis, where she served in a variety of bedside and leadership roles.
Annabeth Davis, MSN, RN, NPD-BC
Annabeth Davis is the manager of Transition to Practice within the department of Nursing Education at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis. She began her tenure at St. Jude in 2019 as a bedside nurse in the Infusion Center, then became the nursing professional development practitioner for the Nursing Surgical Services department before becoming manager of Transition to Practice, covering the Nurse Residency Program, Nurse Extern Program, and Global Evidence-Based Practice Program. During her time, Annabeth has successfully participated in the revitalization of the nurse residency program and even developed and implemented the first operating room nurse residency arm in 2022. Annabeth has a Master of Science degree in Nursing Education and a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing from the University of Mississippi Medical Center. Prior to joining St. Jude, she spent the bulk of her nursing years providing care to pediatric patients in Surgical Services at LeBonheur Children’s Hospital in Memphis, where she served in a variety of bedside roles.
You’ll also hear from me, Kati Kleber MSN RN, host of the podcast! For more about me, click here.
What We Discuss
We discuss specific details of their unique nurse residency program like:
- Why they needed to revitalize program
- How it is structured
- Special educational considerations for newly licensed nurses
Even if you are not in this residency program, it’s helpful to hear how different ones are organized which can empower you to do higher quality research into transition to practice programs at different hospitals.
Listen to the Episode
This podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Libsyn, Spotify, and Amazon Music.
Resources to Learn More
St. Jude’s Nurse Residency Program
[Student] Nurse Extern Program
Nursing at St. Jude – St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (St. Jude’s main nursing page with links to all programs)
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