He never knew he wanted to be a nurse, but a friend told him it was his calling

For most of his life, Kaleb Randolph had no interest in being a nurse.

But now, as he approaches the end of his one-year nurse residency at Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center, Randolph, 31, can’t imagine being anything else.

Since March 2024, he has worked full time as a registered nurse (RN) on the surgical floor, monitoring and caring for up to six adult patients at a time. And no 12-hour shift is the same.

“It’s humbling to work on this floor,” Randolph said of his medical-surgical nursing rotation. The discipline requires constant attention and a lot of juggling, from monitoring a patient’s vital signs to treating a gunshot wound or amputation.

“It’s demanding, but I love it,” Randolph said. “As I tell my patients, ‘I am here to serve you.’”

Part of that service involves working as a step-down nurse with patients who require more medical attention as they transition out of intensive care. “But I feel way more comfortable on the medical-surgical side,” he said.

And that’s the goal of the residency program: to allow new nursing school graduates to discover their best career fit. During the residency, each nurse works with a preceptor, an experienced nurse mentor, and rotates within different units every three months to experience diverse patient populations and settings inside the hospital.

In 2022, New Hanover Regional Medical Center joined the Novant Health network and adopted the nurse residency program. Residency programs not only improve patient outcomes but are also effective at retaining nurses long-term. The hope is that many will stay on with Novant Health beyond the residency. More than 90% do.

Developing real-world experience

Randolph was among more than 250 new nurse graduates to join New Hanover Regional Medical Center’s residency program in 2024.

Transitioning from school to full-time medical work can feel rushed in the typical six-month residency setting. But by offering a 12-month program, Novant Health allows nurses the space to explore and navigate their own course.

“It can be difficult for new nurses to be successful in high-acuity areas,” said Ruth Marescalco, assistant manager of nurse residencies. “The residency program gives them the time to build their confidence and develop their skill set.”

After an initial rotation in the hospital’s cardiac unit, Randolph said he has found his home on the surgical floor.

“I was overwhelmed in the beginning,” he said. “But now, it’s nice to break up the day with classroom work, and then go onto the floor and put what I learn into practice. I see both critical and noncritical patients, which I think is much better for my experience.”

Nursing was his calling

Born in Minnesota, Randolph’s Bible studies in college took him all over the country, from Delaware to Alaska and eventually Hawaii. On a mission program there in 2014, Randolph met another volunteer named Destiny. A shared love for service and worship led to marriage two years later.

For a while, Randolph was content with his job stocking shelves at Target. But another opportunity came calling not long after he and Destiny welcomed their first child.

Becoming a nurse had never been on Randolph’s radar. That was until a close friend approached Randolph with a message that would change his life.

“He told me, ‘Jesus says you should work as a nurse,’” Randolph said. “It took a couple of years, but I started having this desire to go into nursing.”

So in 2022, Randolph moved his family to Nashville, Tennessee, to attend nursing school while working as a certified nursing assistant (CNA). In 2024, the couple and their four kids settled in Wilmington for Randolph to participate in Novant Health’s nurse residency program.

Finding the right fit

Known for his smile and calm demeanor, Randolph has a reputation for putting his patients at ease. Heidi Winslow said she never tires of that feedback when she makes her rounds.

“Patients remember Kaleb’s name,” said Winslow, manager of nurse residencies. “The guy is like Superman. He shows it with his family and with his patients. That work-life balance is displayed by him every day.”

Management and staff recently named Randolph a Remarkable Nurse Resident, a quarterly honor awarded to one nurse.

Randolph said his year in residency has transformed his approach to time-management and the ability to balance the most sensitive aspects of the job.

“I see a lot of stuff on this floor,” he said. “Sometimes I just try to find a moment to talk with Jesus and regroup, even if that’s while walking to get medicine for a patient.”

As for plans beyond completing the program in March, Randolph said he prefers to take work a day at a time.

“Right now, I don’t want to pursue advanced practice, but I also didn’t want to work as a nurse, and I love it,” he said with a laugh. “It’s exhausting but rewarding, so I’m focusing on being the best I can be right now.”

In the meantime, he and Destiny can’t wait to welcome a second set of twins this summer, bringing their crew to six kids.

“Every moment, I choose love,” Randolph said. “I come in with the mindset that it’s not about me — it’s about my patients.”