The residency program at Creighton University Medical Center - Bergan Mercy is designed to develop a practitioner’s expertise in the provision of pharmaceutical care that centers on development of knowledge and skills needed to become a competent and confident practitioner. The resident will be accountable for optimizing drug therapy and achieving the most favorable outcomes as a member of the medical care team. The resident will provide drug information and education to patients, other healthcare professionals and students. The resident will become proficient in developing a means of becoming a lifelong learner, monitoring his or her own skills, and embracing a commitment to the profession. The residency is flexible and provides the resident with a wide range of experiences.

PGY1 pharmacy residency programs build on Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) education and outcomes to contribute to the development of clinical pharmacists responsible for medication-related care of patients with a wide range of conditions, eligible for board certification, and eligible for postgraduate year two (PGY2) pharmacy residency training. This program will center on developing a core skill set in medication therapy management, teaching, team functioning, communication, clinical research, literature evaluation, time management, presentation development and delivery, and direct patient interaction in an academic medical center setting. This program offers the resident the opportunity and stimulus to develop, to the highest degree obtainable, his/her professional expertise as a practitioner. Graduates of this program will be highly qualified to practice as pharmacist clinicians in patient care positions, adjunct faculty positions, or for PGY2 training in their area of choice.

A tertiary care facility and major teaching hospital located in Omaha, Nebraska, Creighton University Medical Center - Bergan Mercy is a level I trauma, academic medical center with a teaching and research affiliation with Creighton University. The hospital’s pharmacy department has decentralized clinical pharmacists whose functions include, but are not limited to: pharmacokinetic monitoring and dosing, multi-disciplinary care team rounding, antimicrobial stewardship, ED pharmacy clinical services, anticoagulation monitoring and management, IV to PO conversions, drug information and overall pharmacotherapy monitoring and dosing. In addition, satellite pharmacies in the operating room and infusion center are open Monday through Friday.

In order to successfully complete the residency program and receive a certificate of completion, the resident must complete the following requirements:

• The resident must obtain their Nebraska Pharmacist Licensure by no later than 90 days after their start date – expectations are outlined below.  Failure to become licensed within 90 days will result in dismissal from the PGY1 pharmacy residency program. (Policies and Procedures)
• The resident must successfully complete all required learning experiences with no Needs Improvement evaluations remaining at the completion of the residency.
• The resident must have 80% of the required competency areas, goals and objectives for the residency program evaluated to be “Achieved for the Residency” by the end of the residency year as determined by the Residency Advisory Committee.
• The resident must have completed all components of their longitudinal research project, as determined by the primary preceptor and the residency director.  Failure to complete components of this project as outline below will result in disciplinary action (unless special exemption is given for outstanding circumstances beyond the resident control). 
  • IRB protocol submission by November 1^st of the residency year
  • Data collection completed by March 1^st of the residency year (at the latest)
  • Formal written research report in accepted manuscript style and approved by the primary preceptor prior to the end of the residency year, unless specific exemption is granted by the primary preceptor for circumstances that would warrant delay of report preparation (i.e. project will continue past the end of the current residency year)
• The resident must present their research project at the Midwest Pharmacy Residents Conference.
• The resident must present two Grand Rounds presentations and receive no more than one “Needs Improvement” as evaluated by their assigned faculty mentor on the last of the presentations.  A required expectation of the resident is to submit the first draft of their presentation slides to their grand rounds mentor at least 2 weeks prior to scheduled presentation date.  Failure to comply with this required expectation will result in disciplinary action.
• The resident must complete a drug monograph and/or class review and Medication Use Evaluation (MUE) as assigned by the primary preceptor within the timeline given.  Failure to adhere to project deadlines can result in disciplinary action.
• The resident must be present at all Grand Rounds sessions unless the absence is excused by the Residency Program Director.
• The resident must complete the teaching certificate program, as described in the manual.
• The resident must complete all didactic teaching assignments/requirements, as described in the manual.
• The resident must complete all clinical service/staffing hours and duties, as described in the manual.

Program Structure

CHI Health Creighton University Medical Center-Bergan Mercy residency schedule consists of 12, one-month rotation blocks. Rotations are available in many areas of specialization to offer experience in the provision of direct patient care. Additionally longitudinal rotations are used for continual focus in key areas including health system management and inpatient pharmacy staffing. The schedule also allows for up to five months of elective rotations.

Required Clinical Rotations:

• Acute Care-Internal Medicine
• Acute Care-Family Medicine
• Cardiology
• Critical Care
• Infectious Disease

Required Longitudinal Rotations:

• Health System Management
• Inpatient Pharmacy Staffing
• Research Project

Elective Rotations Offered:

• Antimicrobial Stewardship
• Emergency Medicine
• Trauma-Critical Care
• Neonatal Intensive Care
• Oncology/Hematology
• Critical Care Elective
• Pharmacy Management
• Psychiatry
• Ambulatory Care
• Drug Information

About CHI Health Creighton University Medical Center-Bergan Mercy PGY1 Pharmacy Residency

The primary rotation site is CHI Health Creighton University Medical Center-Bergan Mercy (CUMC-Bergan), an academic teaching hospital. CUMC-Bergan is the principal teaching facility for the Creighton University Health Sciences Schools. Twenty-four hour unit dose, decentralized pharmacy services are provided at CUMC-Bergan. Decentralized pharmaceutical services are offered for all patient care areas.

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