[jess2007]

hi guys,

i need your advise. i'm getting off orientation next week (forced to do so). i feel i'm not ready yet. i tried to speak out and prolong my orientation time but nobody wants to hear that. my hospital is very short on staff and they want me to work on a regular basis as soon as possible. another problem is that there will be no nurses on my shift who have been working on my unit for a # of years. there will be 3 nurses total: 2 new grads + 1 "agency" nurse, or 2 "agency" nurses + myself. i'm very frustrated and i think that this environment is very unsafe to practice in. i would appreciate any advise or opinion.

Jess

[WeeBabyRN]

Originally Posted by jess2007

hi guys,

i need your advise. i'm getting off orientation next week (forced to do so). i feel i'm not ready yet. i tried to speak out and prolong my orientation time but nobody wants to hear that. my hospital is very short on staff and they want me to work on a regular basis as soon as possible. another problem is that there will be no nurses on my shift who have been working on my unit for a # of years. there will be 3 nurses total: 2 new grads + 1 "agency" nurse, or 2 "agency" nurses + myself. i'm very frustrated and i think that this environment is very unsafe to practice in. i would appreciate any advise or opinion.

Jess

I would be looking for another job. This sounds like an unsupportive and unsafe environment. While you are at this job, I would document everything. I would write down who you talked to about prolonging your orientation, the date, and time. Good luck!

[ava'smomRN]

who did you speak to about prolonging your orientation? if it was just your manager and preceptor, you need to talk to the nurse educator. i would hope that they can arrange a longer orientation for you. as for working on the floor with all newly licensed staff..... I wish you all the best. I hope the situation gets better for you

[haley4]

I know how you feel I just resigned from a job. The job wouldn't give me the proper orientation so I felt. I had six days of orientation and was expected to take 50 pts. after six day. I wasn't comfortable with that. I told the nurse educator that and all she said is you can handle it. I worked hard to get my license and I wasn't going to lose it fooling around with this company.

[skiiees]

I compeletly feel where your coming from I'm in the same situation,and I also need advice. I've been pushed to my breaking point, and I feel I'm in a unsafe, unsupportive envirnonment. I feel if I don't quite now something is going to happen where I might have to defend my license. I know you shouldn't burn you bridges, but I want to hand in my resignation letter without the 2 weeks notice, effective immediately. Can anyone help me?

[lorabel]

Sorry to hear of your concerns. Rightly so, however. If your gut is saying I'm not ready...then listen. I went through the same situation sort of.I told my NM I wasnt eady and was told I couldnt be on orientation longer. I lasted only 4 months. I worked with a group of nasty and unsupportive nurses......plus under poor management. I felt so incompetent all the time. I was given mixed messages and by the time I quit...I had 0 confidence. The unit sapped everything from me. I was losing weight, couldnt sleep and was so stressed. This forum advised me to get out of the toxic work environment. I did. I dont regret it but still miss the hospital environment. but because the experience took away my confidence...I just accepted a position in LTC. I dont kow if this is the right decision or not. My thought is to work there for a year, learn better organization skills and charting, etc. then maybe go to a hospital. I'm convinced that every job teaches us things we can take and apply to the next job. I'm still searching for my niche........when I interviewed for this job I was asked why I left...the dreaded question. i told them it wasnt a good fit and I was looking for a job with less acuity of patients and that I enjoyed patient interaction.....something like that. I was told it takes a while to find where we belong and its expected that we will try several positions our first year or so to find "our fit." I felt so much better. I was welcomed by nurses, aides, and management. It felt much warmer than the hospital where I worked. I start on Feb. 18th. I'm a little nervous. I know nothing about LTC but I will learn and it seems its a much more supportive environment. I asked about orientation. I was told it will be however long it takes me to feel confident.......WOW! Hoping it works out well for me. If you have doubts or reservations...walk! There are other opportunities out there. It doesnt sound like a safe environment...patient safety is priority....isnt it?

[elkpark]

How long have you been in orientation? I don't know any of the details of your situation and am not being critical, but it is a fact of nursing life that no new grad ever feels that s/he is "ready" to go off orientation -- but at some point you're going to have to go out there on your own. Even after you're off orientation, it will be a long time before you feel really confident and safe; there's no way around that, and we have all gone through it (and lived to tell the tale).

Again, I'm not trying to criticize you or belittle your feelings at all -- just another perspective of the situation to think about ... Only you can decide, finally, whether you can stay in your current situation. Best wishes for your new career!

[deeDawntee]

Phew, I don't like the sound of the entire situation. Why are there no seasoned staff there? That would be a huge red flag for me right from the start. If there is a high turn-over, that is not a good sign. Is there another unit in the hospital where you can transfer? Do you have union representation? I am sooo sorry this is happening to you. It looks very likely that you will be getting a new job soon. The question is, do you want to get it now or wait until you are REALLY fed-up with your situation? I think a new employer would be very understanding and probably has heard about the reputation of where you are... the nursing world is really very small. Good luck to you...whatever you decide.

[wayunderpaid]

Ditto to many of the above posts. Just an observation, agency nurses are often very competent. I rely on travel and agency nurses all the time. They will often be more experienced and resourceful than new grads on your floor. Some of them are better than the long-timers on the unit. Good luck on your decision. I am not envious of our position.
Wayunderpaid

[MeljabRN]

I think you should look for a new job. The orientation for the position I am interested in at my hospital has a minimum of FOUR months orientation and longer if you dont feel ready. THey never force you to go on your own if you dont feel safe (up to 6 months). It is one of the best new grad programs in the Boston area and many ng have come from other programs and restarted orientation at this facility. Ng can only have 3 pts also and there are always at least 8 experienced RNs on staff (35 beds)