OLEAN — Olean General Hospital celebrated the graduation of 15 nurse residency program participants with a pinning ceremony on Wednesday.

The nurses that graduated from the year-long residency program included Amy Andres RN; Lexi Bowers, RN; Savana Carapellatti, RN; Jessie Carlson RN; Carrie Chapman, RN; David Choi, RN; Payton Fiske RN; Avery Grusendorf, RN; Bethany Haynes, RN; Autumn Michalski, RN; Emma Mikolajczyk, BSN, RN; Teylor Mooney, RN; Hannah Pfeffer, RN; Noelle Routhier, BSN, RN; and Regina Tkacik, BSN, RN.

The graduate nurse program was created to improve retention of nurses, create a sense of community through mentorship and develop a connection to resources throughout the organization, as well as support the new nurses to continue to be life-long learners as they prepare to earn their bachelor’s degree. The program provides the graduate nurses with monthly hands-on training in addition to each participant having to develop an evidence-based research project specific to a unit, department or hospital wide at OGH.

Prior to the pinning ceremony, groups presented their evidence-based projects. One projectvshowed how patients who receive clear, concise and accessible information in the admissions folder will allow patients to play a more active role in their care. This will improve patient satisfaction, quality of care and help decrease readmission rates.

“We are incredibly proud of our nurse residency graduates for their dedication and growth over the past year,” said Jennifer Ruggles, chief nursing officer for OGH and Bradford Regional Medical Center. “Their hard work and resilience have been inspiring, and we’re confident they will continue to make a lasting impact in patient care.

“We are also proud to provide ongoing educational and clinical advancement opportunities that help our team members feel confident and supported in their roles,” Ruggles said. “The future is bright, and we’re excited to see all they will accomplish.”

In 2025, OGH and BRMC, Kaleida Health facilities, have hired a record-number of 28 graduate nurses who will start the nurse residency program in July. The onboarding of these 28 GNs is assisting in the goal of displacing high-cost agency staff throughout BRMC and OGH and keep the heart of healthcare local.

“At OGH/BRMC, we’re committed to recruiting talented nurses who want to live, work and make a real difference in our community,” Rudggles said. “By nurturing a supportive environment, we empower our nurses to thrive while delivering exceptional care to our patients.”

The organization continues to demonstrate strong retention performance of nurses, reflected in a current turnover rate of 7%, below the 16% national average.