WOW. What a supportive discussion!
When I completed my undergrad in nursing, I knew I wanted to be specialized as an ANP. So, I went to a hospital that allowed nurses into specialty areas. I did not think I needed to do floor nursing. I was right. Two months after my orientation ended I had a patient on ECMO. IT WAS AWESOME! If you are self-aware about what you want your practice to look like and you have had an excellent orientation, new nurses should not be discouraged from entering the specialty setting.
When I started as a preceptor for my unit, I attended a 16 week class to be in this role. The majority of the class content was communication techniques to correctly communicate to my new nurse feedback that was useful. Most of it was a no-brainier. We also had de-briefings with the unit educator after each week. These were separate from the sessions the new nurse had with the orientee.
Oh, and another thing. I was rewarded on how my new nurse did. If after orientation my nurse was still in the unit after 30 days, I got $1,000. When they hit 90 days, I got another $1,000. When they hit 6 months, I got $3,000. All of us that volunteered for this had our new nurses w/ us for every shift for 3 months.
Doug
Aug 7, '10 by DougMSNRNWOW. What a supportive discussion!