Mentorship in Action: Building Strong Nurses Through Residency

Excellence in nursing doesn’t happen by chance. At East Alabama Health, it starts with support. East Alabama Health’s nurse residency program is designed to nurture emerging nurses, pairing their academic training with hands-on experience and mentorship that prepares them for delivering exceptional care.

For Aly Tucker, an ICU nurse at East Alabama Medical Center (EAMC), the residency program provided the support she needed while stepping into a new role.  

Life experiences led Tucker to discover her health care calling early on. After losing a close friend in high school, and surviving a car accident weeks later, she realized she wanted to help people in a hands-on, meaningful way.

“Before, I thought I wanted to pursue teaching, but those events kind of led me into nursing,” Tucker said. “I realized that I wanted to help people and be on the other side of care. When I graduated and got a job at the hospital, that just confirmed for me that I wanted to pursue this.”

Beginning her career as a mutli-care tech (MCT), she had the chance to care for patients in different areas of the hospital while pursuing her nursing degree. Through this experience, she found herself gravitating toward critical care nursing.  

“Working as a tech really showed me different areas of the hospital that I found interesting,” she said. “With that, I knew even before I got accepted into nursing school that I wanted to work in critical care.”

Following her graduation from nursing school at Southern Union State Community College, Tucker stepped into her role as an ICU nurse and also joined the hospital’s Nurse Residency Program.  

This year-long program helps new graduates transition into professional nursing through mentorship, support, and hands-on clinical training. Residents strengthen clinical judgment, build confidence, and explore key topics such as documentation, ethics, fall prevention, and patient safety while collaborating on evidence-based projects and learning from experienced mentors.

“When I went through the residency program, there was a large focus on support for nurses coming into a career that can at times seem scary,” Tucker reflected. “We were able to talk about things that happen while working and have support from our peers.”

Tucker points to Bekah King, the program’s on-site coordinator, as playing a key role in introducing the nurse residents to crucial aspects of nursing.

“Through Bekah, we were able to do things like connect with doctors who would speak during our sessions, so later when working with them, we already had an established relationship and that gave us a place to start our conversations,” she said. “I think just overall having that type of support from the program was something that I didn’t know I would need.”

Since completing the residency program, Tucker has earned her bachelor’s degree and stepped into leadership roles such as the ICU’s patient safety ambassador where she promotes quality and teamwork.  

Having experienced the challenges of a nurse’s first year, she now mentors new nurses—offering guidance, support, and direction.  

"I always like to remind new nurses to be humble and always understand that it is okay to ask questions,” Tucker said. “The most important thing you can do is ask questions and learn, because your responsibilities directly impact someone’s life.”