Critical Care Nursing Fellowship Program
NYC Health + Hospitals debuted an exciting Critical Care Nursing Fellowship in April 2024 to provide high-quality care to critically ill patients.
The Critical Care Nursing Fellowship focuses on critical care within a selected range of specialties and includes simulation; didactic, on-site experiences; clinical rotations in emergency, post-anesthesia care units (PACU) and telemetry/stepdown units; and providing an interactive and personalized learning experience.
The 20-week Fellowship Program is open to all newly-hired staff nurses, to RNs who are transitioning to a new area of clinical practice with no prior medical/surgical experience, and to PCT/PCA/LPN incumbent staff who are newly-graduated RNs.
“Critical care nursing is a focused specialty that involves managing and coordinating the care of severely ill patients suffering from complicated illnesses or surgical procedures. Critical care nurses are the backbone of emergency rooms, intensive care units (ICUs) and other acute care departments,” points out NYC Health + Hospitals Senior Vice President and Chief Nursing Executive Natalia Cineas, DNP, MSM-N, MBA, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN, FADLN. “Nurses play an indispensable role in critical care settings, ensuring patient safety, advocating for optimal care and fostering a supportive environment designed to produce positive patient outcomes. This new Critical Care Nursing Fellowship Program will ensure that our critical care nurses have the knowledge, clinical skills and aptitude to rapidly evaluate and respond to the needs of our patients and their families.”
In addition to the clinical curriculum. the fellowship includes instruction on effective communications strategies and teamwork, allowing critical care nurses to collaborate closely with physicians, specialists, and other members of the interdisciplinary health care team to develop comprehensive plans of care designed to address each patient’s specific needs.
“The fellowship program caters to the needs of new graduate RNs as they transition into clinical practice,” says Roxanne Reid DNP, MSNEd, RN, Associate Director of Nursing Education. “The program will equip these nurses with the essential knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary for delivering top-notch patient care. Its comprehensive and evidence-based curriculum is carefully structured to prepare nurses for challenges they may encounter in clinical practice. Through this program, nurses gain confidence, empathy, cultural awareness, and competence, enabling them to navigate their roles efficiently.”
Graduation for the first Fellowship cohort included nine nurses and took place in October 2024; the second Fellowship cohort included seven nurses, and graduated in November 2024; and the third Fellowship cohort included nine nurses, and graduated in December 2024. Cohort Four comprised five nurses and graduated January 2025. Cohort Five included four Fellows and graduated February 2025.
Cohort Six included seven nurses and graduated March 2025. Cohort Seven comprised seven nurses and graduated May 2025. Cohort Eight included five nurses and graduated June 2025. Yashen Jacobs, RN, Staff Nurse at NYC Health + Hospitals/Harlem, was one of the nurses selected for the first cohort. “As a new grad straight out of nursing school, I didn’t know what specialty I wanted to go into initially,” she explains. “I was excited to get my first job offer at Harlem Hospital, where I have been a medical/surgical nurse for two years. During those two years, I have assisted with many rapid responses, and codes. Many of the patients who coded ended up transferring to ICU. Working alongside ICU nurses and doctors really inspired me to better understand the disease progress, and why the body is responding in a certain way. I wanted to know more. So, I am really excited to begin the fellowship and gain a deeper knowledge of critical care nursing. It fills such an important need for our patients.”