Orientation consisted of all the routine stuff...(the downstairs in education dept. stuff)

then..to the unit to orient on the floor. This hospital uses the BCMA (bar code medication administration system) which means..that to give an eyedrop..you must take your laptop computer..on a small cart to the pts' room...sign on to the computer...select the program...scan the patient's barcoded wristband...scan the med..hit "send" and wait for the screen to pop up to tell you if the doseage is correct. If not..you must know how to enter the correct amt in the correct area before you can give this eyedrop (note: my patient was on eyedrops q1hr)

NOW..this is my first day on the floor..after 1 1/2 hrs spent "downstairs" in education the week before training on this little "jewel" of a laptop.

My assignment that day from my kind preceptor..was three isolation patients....the patient on q1hr eyedrops and q2hr bolus feedings..plus one other patient.

This was my orientation....my chance to "learn to use the computer"...

Needless to say...every time I had to give a med using this new system..and taking forever to figure out what I was doing...watching myself get farther and farther behind on my med passes..my fustration level shooting skyward...etc...and thinking this shift would never end...I was wishing I had never agreed to work at this facility! (note: a staff nurse was pulled from this floor when the shift started...something about "oreintees could take the patients" and the staff nurse could be used elsewhere)

This unit is always understaffed...5 nurses quit in one week...etc.

I'm rethinking this job as I type...and intend on requesting time to learn this BCMA system and if that doesn't work....I'll be on the lookout for a job somewhere else.

Is this the kind of orientation you receive?

Thankfully not quite as bad as that, but the concept sounds very familiar to me..... excuse me, could you sent a floatation device my way, I'm drowning...

Sadly, this is similar to the "orientation" program in my department. Orientation is crucial to the satisfaction of new employees, yet many nursing managers and hospital administrators fail to realize this. It is always stressful starting over in a new place, without the stress of "having to figure it out on your own". For nurses responsible for direct patient care, this teaching approach is just not acceptable.

You have my sincere sympathy over your present situation--you are definitely being given the shaft in the orientation department.

You are right in thinking you should request a more through orientation to the BCMA system. If the hospital is not willing to work with you on this, then you will know that things are not likely to improve.

Good luck with whatever decison you make! :kiss

SpineCNOR and Michigan Nurse...

Thanks for the validation...I thought maybe I was taking this too seriously...

Oh..and tomorrow (Monday) I have a little talk with management regarding my orientation...(have another job already) so I'm ready to discuss the orientation issue..lol..

Thanks again..

Ann

They OWE you a hell of a lot more than you are getting...DO pursue it. I wish you luck!

My first day of orientation in a 12 bed MICU I was told my preceptor had called off sick, and to do the best I could - any questions were to be directed to the charge nurse. I was then assigned 3 patients. It was sink or swim, and luckily I was able to keep my head above water for the first two days. The preceptor called off sick the next day also - it was her way to tell management she was not happy with the assignment of precepting another new employee.

That should have given me a clue as to how things were handled, and how management didn't listen to staff. I am still working there, and the nurses are still use sick days to make up for assignments they don't like.

Sounds overwhelming.................I start a new job tomarrow so I will let you know how it goes....

renerian