Continuing Education
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) is committed to improving the quality of care for all patients by educating the professional nursing community. We provide a variety of continuing education programs that are open to our employees and the nursing community at large.
Nurse Residency Program
MSK has partnered with Vizient and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) on the Nurse Residency Program (NRP) since 2008 to provide our new graduate nurses with the necessary tools and skills to successfully transition from student nurse to registered professional oncology nurse. The evidence-based curriculum of our NRP is focused on leadership, quality outcomes, and the professional role. Throughout their first year of professional practice, new graduate nurses attend seminars in small cohorts, where they benefit from peer support and guidance from their NRP coordinator. Learning opportunities include development classes, skills, and simulation.
The Vizient/AACN Nurse Residency Program at MSK is accredited as a Practice Transition Program by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.
MSK is a Magnet®-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center located in New York City with regional sites in New Jersey, in Westchester, and on Long Island. MSK offers many exciting opportunities for new graduate nurses in acute care, critical care, pediatrics, perioperative care areas and ambulatory care.
Mentoring @ MSK
The Mentoring @ MSK program was developed for and by nurses, and provides a formal, evidence-based mentoring program for nurses at all levels. The program pairs MSK nurses of all kinds and career stages so they can gain an inside look at a different facet of the field. It’s also open to advanced practice providers, including nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and certified registered nurse anesthetists.
Since the six-month-long program began in 2016, more than 400 mentoring partnerships have been created. Nurses can use this resource to assist in meeting professional development goals and in building relationships across the organization.
Evidence-Based Practice
Evidence-based Practice (EBP) is a problem-solving methodology that uses current and best evidence from studies — combined with patient care data, clinician expertise, and patient preferences — to guide healthcare practices and decisions, while maximizing alignment with an organization’s values, mission, and commitment to excellence.
MSK’s Nursing Department embarked on its EBP journey in 2015, when they started attending EBP immersions and training sessions at an academic research institution. They then launched their own EBP program with some introductory courses and then quickly expanded their commitment to the EBP methodology by developing a more extensive curriculum, including several specialized workshops.
MSK has honed and perfected a proprietary EBP model, built upon the operational structure, processes, and multi-faceted training curriculum, that was validated during years of working with EBP. The MSK course, known as Spirit of Inquiry, Expanding EBP Knowledge (SEEK™), has demonstrated success and is feasible for frontline clinical staff, leading to the implementation of dozens successful EBP projects within the institution.
MSK’s program was recognized as exemplary by the American Nurses Credentialing Center in our 2020 and 2025 Magnet® designation.
In 2024, MSK launched a consulting service for organizations looking to enhance their evidence-based practice infrastructure.
Research Fellowship
This yearlong program is designed to increase nurses’ understanding of nursing research. The program includes didactic presentations, guided learning, and mentored experiences to promote nursing research throughout MSK. Nursing participants are expected to conduct a research study that answers a research question in a particular area of interest. Fellows will be selected based on the specificity of their research project, endorsement of their frontline or executive nursing leadership, and alignment with MSK’s organizational and Department of Nursing goals.
Research Forum
The Nursing Research Forum hosts nurse researchers from MSK and the broader nursing community. This is an opportunity for nurse researchers to disseminate their research findings and promote nursing research.
Clinical Assistants Program
Each summer, the Department of Nursing provides senior-level nursing students with ten weeks of full-time employment so they can gain clinical experience through the Clinical Assistants Program. Trainees have the opportunity to partner with experienced nurses from our inpatient, outpatient, and perioperative divisions. Approximately 30 nursing students are accepted each year.