Holy cow! Now i'm confused!

Nurses General Nursing

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This is basically a follow-up thread. As many of you know I recieved the job offer today at a local hospital. Really happy and excited about it. Especially since I graduated Dec 2010. Make a long story short, I call and tell a friend (that I graduated with) about it and she says, "WOW! I'm surprised they will put you through an internship part-time." (I accepted a part time position). During the interview I was told I will be with a preceptor for 3months, and a skills list will be provided to complete before I am on my own. So my friend says, "Well, the hospital I work for gave us 2 weeks of review before we even touched the floor..... The internship is a year long." Now I am freaking out. Am I getting shortchanged because of previous LPN experience? :eek:

I don't even see any openings for New Grad internships, ANYWHERE. I finally get a job, and now I'm like WHAT THE H-E-(chopstick)(chopstick)!!!

Any insight is welcomed. What is your personal experience?

Specializes in ER/Ortho.

I graduated in in 09, and started an internship in the ER about a month later. Orientation was a week and the entire internship including orientation was three months long. Needless to say it didn't go well. There were three of use in the internship (two of us were brand new graduates, and one had experience in a different area of nursing). The other new graduate fell out first, then the experienced nurse just didn't show up one day. Called me at home to tell me it just wasn't worth it, and she went back to her prn. I toughed it out, but I cried on my way to work and on my way home every day. It was horrible. They just didn't understand why I didn't go from new graduate to super ER nurse in two months. If I asked a question it was why don't you know that why are you asking questions.

Anyway, I quit after 4 months and got a job on a med surg floor as a novice nurse. This meant I was new to the hospital system, but not a new nurse. Another nurse who had 10 + years experience started at the same time I did on my floor. Our orientation was 2 weeks total. This included 2 days of system wide orientation followed by a day of hospital wide orientation, a day of testing, a few days with the educator, a day of check off with the educator (IV's, NG tubes, foleys, dosage calc test etc), a few days learning the computer system, pixis, scanners, setting up passwords. Then a week of floor orientation where we did a scavenger hunt day, a half day with the secretary, a half day with PT, half day with OT (I work ortho), a few hours in the cast room. On our last day we just sort of followed a nurse around asking question learning how things worked.

Then we had two months with a preceptor before being on our own. I actually had an additional two weeks because when on orientation your on days, but my shift was night shift so after orientation I moved to night and you get two additional weeks to get used to how things work on night shift.

Needless to say I was much better prepared to do my job. I have been there a little over a year now.

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I graduated in in 09, and started an internship in the ER about a month later. Orientation was a week and the entire internship including orientation was three months long. Needless to say it didn't go well. There were three of use in the internship (two of us were brand new graduates, and one had experience in a different area of nursing). The other new graduate fell out first, then the experienced nurse just didn't show up one day. Called me at home to tell me it just wasn't worth it, and she went back to her prn. I toughed it out, but I cried on my way to work and on my way home every day. It was horrible. They just didn't understand why I didn't go from new graduate to super ER nurse in two months. If I asked a question it was why don't you know that why are you asking questions.

Anyway, I quit after 4 months and got a job on a med surg floor as a novice nurse. This meant I was new to the hospital system, but not a new nurse. Another nurse who had 10 + years experience started at the same time I did on my floor. Our orientation was 2 weeks total. This included 2 days of system wide orientation followed by a day of hospital wide orientation, a day of testing, a few days with the educator, a day of check off with the educator (IV's, NG tubes, foleys, dosage calc test etc), a few days learning the computer system, pixis, scanners, setting up passwords. Then a week of floor orientation where we did a scavenger hunt day, a half day with the secretary, a half day with PT, half day with OT (I work ortho), a few hours in the cast room. On our last day we just sort of followed a nurse around asking question learning how things worked.

Then we had two months with a preceptor before being on our own. I actually had an additional two weeks because when on orientation your on days, but my shift was night shift so after orientation I moved to night and you get two additional weeks to get used to how things work on night shift.

Needless to say I was much better prepared to do my job. I have been there a little over a year now.

This sounds similar to what I got at a hospital where I worked peds. And I started the job with 17 years experience- none on a totally pediatric floor, but having kids on the floors with the specialty they needed - or in coma stim, we got all ages routinely- so kids weren't new- but only kids was new- I had to check off on pediatric specific tasks... there were 2 weeks of classroom stuff (general orientation with everyone from housekeeping to "the brass". Then I got a week of p & p manuals (I was the only nurse in that group....real fun). Then it was off to the floor for a couple of weeks of floor orientation, then another couple of weeks on nights (the shift I would work) I had never been so glad to get off of orientation- I learned a lot- but I learn better by doing, and the night crew was great about helping (all but one). So, that helped.

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Specializes in ICU.

It's a three month orientation, Just keep a track of that skills checklist they gave you and you should be fine.

http://www.humanhelp.in

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Specializes in Psych.

Until I joined AN I had no idea nurse internships even existed.

I too, just got hired at a facility. My orientation is 7 weeks, with the first week being the learning the system, hr type of things. I get 2 weeks of training with a preceptor on Days and 4 weeks on evenings. May ask for a few days on nights, just so I can get the gist of their routine.

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Specializes in Mental Health, Medical Research, Periop.
Hey Snow...I just told my husband about you and your new job (he is oftentimes a wonderful resource when I am trying to answer a member's question or relay relevant information). He and I just toasted to you and your future success!

Here is an 'e-clink' from us to you. So happy for you!

*wine

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Specializes in Mental Health, Medical Research, Periop.

Thanks everyone for sharing your personal experiences, your kind words, your advice, and your support. Truly helpful. :bdyhdclp:

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Specializes in Critical Care; Cardiac; Professional Development.

I have only ever seen one internship that lasted an entire year. Most hospitals seems to average 8-12 weeks. I think you are going to do great.

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Specializes in pediatrics, public health.

Most "new grad" programs in my area are 12 weeks (at least back when hospitals actually had "new grad" programs).

My first nursing job was at a peds hospital that did not have a new grad program. The only training a new grad got was 5 weeks with a preceptor, and this was whether you had previous health care experience or not -- I had none.

I didn't feel ready to be on my own after 5 weeks, but somehow I managed. It helped a lot that the other nurses didn't expect me to know everything, and were good about answering my (many many many) questions.

With experience as an LPN and three whole months (lucky you!) you should be fine.

Congrats again on the new job!

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Specializes in Certified Med/Surg tele, and other stuff.

I got a week with a preceptor and was thrown on the floor with 7 patients on week two. I had my LPN before my RN and had worked hospitals, but even then a week wasn't enough. Your orientation, or whatever you call it sounds reasonable. That is what my current facility gives new grads.

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Specializes in ICU/ER.

As a new grad with LPN experience I was hired into ICU and given 3 months orientation. have never looked back. Great reviews, prn'd in the ER after six months, did open hearts, balloon pumps and CRRT in my first year. Three months is a long time. And they if you work in a team orented unit, you'll never be "on your own."

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