The school of nursing and affiliated medical center partnered to align the Nurse Residency Program with an undergraduate elective course in nursing leadership. This enabled associate degree nurses (ADN) to earn academic credit (3 credits) when they matriculate into the school's  RN to BSN program. Dr. Hallowell explains in the podcast and article that this initiative is designed to acknowledge the educational merit of structured transition-to-practice programs, encouraging academic advancement among ADN-prepared nurses. By granting academic credit for experiential learning, the model reduces redundancy, fosters leadership development, and supports lifelong learning.