Nurse Residency Program Helps Emma Jennings Thrive in Nursing Career

By the time Emma Jennings earned her registered nurse (RN) license in January 2025, she already had years of experience in health care. But even with that background, Jennings says East Alabama Health’s Nurse Residency Program gave her the tools and confidence to grow into her role as a professional nurse.

Jennings began her health care journey as an EMT student at Southern Union State Community College before enrolling in nursing school in January 2023. She completed a concurrent program between Southern Union and Auburn University, earning her associate degree in nursing in December 2024 and her bachelor’s degree in May 2025. During that time, she worked as a mutli-care technician (MCT) on the sixth floor at EAMC for nearly two years and even spent six months as a licensed practical nurse before becoming an RN.

“I originally wanted to be an ER nurse, so I started out doing the EMT program at Southern Union,” Jennings said. “Then I loved that, so I was like, ‘Yes, I am going to nursing school.’” 

When Jennings joined the Nurse Residency Program, she found herself in a cohort of nurses from different units across the hospital. The program offered structured support, professional development sessions and opportunities to learn from other disciplines.

“We were able to come together and talk about our feelings, experiences, what we are struggling with and what is going well,” Jennings said. “We were also able to have people come and speak to us. The pharmacists spoke with us; PT came to speak to us. Dr. (Michael) Roberts, the Chief Quality Officer, came and spoke to us. You get to see different perspectives, and it helped us understand the different aspects of the health care system.” 

One session stood out to Jennings more than the rest.

“Honestly, I think the pharmacy session stuck out the most because we have an in-house pharmacist on our floor, and I bother them all the time because medications were not my strong suit, and they are such great resources,” she said. 

“During the session, they really broke down how it works when an order is placed, how meds are brought to the floor, mixed and compounded, and they even let us tour the pharmacy and see all that was there.”

Jennings said the residency program was especially helpful for new graduates who had never worked in a hospital setting. She often shared advice with peers about shifting their mindset from student to nurse.

“I would explain that you have to take on a new mentality: you are the nurse now,” Jennings said. “I would talk with them about it and help them understand the difference in their new roles.”

Today, Jennings is in her second semester of a master’s program at the University of Alabama at Birmingham to become a family nurse practitioner. She’s also working toward her chemotherapy certification and has been asked to serve as charge nurse on the sixth floor (Surgery, Urology and Oncology Unit).

The Nurse Residency Program, Jennings said, gave her confidence and perspective as she continues to advance in her career.

About East Alabama Health

East Alabama Health encompasses East Alabama Medical Center in Opelika, EAMC-Lanier Rural Emergency Hospital in Valley, East Alabama Medical Center North, the Spencer Cancer Center in Opelika, the Auburn Medical Pavilion and a host of other key medical clinics and practices that help provide a continuum of care to patients throughout an 11-county area. EAMC is a 316-bed regional referral hospital. EAMC-Lanier Rural Emergency Hospital provides emergency and outpatient services while its campus also features a nursing home and an ambulatory surgery center. East Alabama Health employs about 3,800 people and is the second largest employer in the region, trailing only Auburn University.