How do I orentate someone when...

Specialties Geriatric

Published

Specializes in rehab.

I'm supposed to orientate a new hired nurse Monday, since I'm the permanment nurse for my unit I'm going to be orientating her for 2 days. However I'm lost on how to do it. I work at a nursing home and my unit is very boring for my job. I tend to make time go by by finding random things to do or answering call lights or talking to residents but with an orientee I can't just BS around like that.

I am the charge nurse on a floor that has 2 med nurses and 5 aides, so really all the charge nurse does is chart, take off orders and call the doctor. But unless there's an emergancy- which isn't that common at all since all of our residents are very stable- there's nothing to do. I work the 3-11 shift and sadly there's almost nothing to show this person on my unit.

I can show her how to do rounds and how to staff the unit, but that would take what...an hour?

I do help feed, so I can show her that too since we have so many feeders we need all nurses to help out. Would that be ok?

If so that takes care of 2 hours of an 8 hour day. Charting itself is almost nothing it takes maybe an hour there. So that's 3 hours taken care of and 5 hours left for me to figure out what to do. Which is what freaks me out!

I can't show her meds, since that technically isn't my job. And unlike the respiratory unit that has critical people or the other units that have nurses that do both meds and charts I got nothing! Right now I'm seeing myself as being a horrible orientator that will just be a nervous mess because my unit has nothing.

Plus I hate this because I'm still new at nursing I just barely got a year's experience and to have someone watch over me if I make a mistake. That scares me even more! Right now I'm almost hoping that someone calls off so I can either charge 2 units or be med/charge nurse, so at least I can show her something more then what I got in a slow as molasses unit.

Any ideas?

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Wow, where do you work? I want your job!

But seriously, you need to show her around, show her where everything is, introduce her to residents, have her shadow you answering call lights, feeding, charting, and whatever else you do. Can you have her shadow a med nurse?

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Specializes in rehab.

Haha a lot of people say that for sure.

Thanks for the suggestions! I'm going to try to do the normal spotting with hoyers that I normally do. I tend to spend the first hour or two with the residents, and use this as the time to check up on my residents and make sure they feel ok. Though I do feel a lil weird just going around with someone walking behind me as I talk to people. I don't want her to think I'm wasting her time doing small things.

Sadly I can't just put her with the med nurse since it's the DON that chooses where she goes, when she goes to the normal LTC units she'll be with tons of meds.

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Specializes in PACU, OR.

Ok, step one: she's a new person you're introducing to your family. Take her on the guided tour, showing her the layout, rest rooms/tearoom and explain the rules, at the same time introducing her to all the people she'll be working with. Explain meal breaks and any perks such as subsidized meals (if any).

Next, introduce her to the residents. Then take her to the charts and fill her in on anything she needs to know about the residents. Then run her through the medical & equipment stores and explain the checking and ordering systems.

After that (or in between) take her with you when you do your own routine tasks, let her do a few herself and assist her where necessary. That should keep you busy all of day one.

Day two, let her do the tasks herself and observe, remind and assist where necessary. If there's nothing else to do, refresh her as to where everything is stored and let her run through all the routine procedures and paperwork, making sure you haven't missed anything.

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Specializes in Hospice / Psych / RNAC.

Don't you ever admit or discharge? Hasn't anyone passed on while you were working? I mean I could go on and on. Don't you think it would be a good idea to teach her what the other shifts are responsible for? Knowing the diet of each resident is crucial as well in case she gives meds or helps feed. Who turns the MARS etc... Where is the MDSD ... who does the MDSs ... How to cover shifts when sick calls come in ... The important phone numbers of on call docs, DON, etc ...You may not think there's not that much to do but there is.

Why don't you write down a plan of orientation; brainstorm on paper. I think you'll come up with much more that this new nurse needs to know.

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Specializes in ER.

Orient NOT orientated! That is one of my HUGE pet peeves- nurses who use that incorrectly. It is alert and oriented- NOT EVER EVER orientated. Ack. :)

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Orient NOT orientated! That is one of my HUGE pet peeves- nurses who use that incorrectly. It is alert and oriented- NOT EVER EVER orientated. Ack. :)

Thanks!!! I am so glad u said that. That is one of my biggest pet peeves also.... :yeah:

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Specializes in PACU, OR.
Orient NOT orientated! That is one of my HUGE pet peeves- nurses who use that incorrectly. It is alert and oriented- NOT EVER EVER orientated. Ack. :)

Thanks!!! I am so glad u said that. That is one of my biggest pet peeves also.... :yeah:

Ah, but orientate is as correct as orient - depending on which side of the Atlantic pond you happen to live. Consider this: the noun is "Orientation", not "Oriention". :smokin:

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Specializes in ED, Informatics, Clinical Analyst.
Ah, but orientate is as correct as orient - depending on which side of the Atlantic pond you happen to live. Consider this: the noun is "Orientation", not "Oriention". :smokin:

You beat me to it. I was going to say one of the British RNs pointed that out in another post. :D

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Specializes in Pediatrics,Home Health, Plasma Industry.

I am the Lead Nurse at my job and one of my tasks is to orient new hire nurses and train them to perform on their own. My suggestion would be to take on some of the tasks that the other nurse's are doing for the day or at least part of the day. And since you are a newer nurse yourself you may want to jump in and help out so that you don't lose your skills.

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Geriatrics, LTC.

How is that your unit is so quiet? What about doctors orders? Ordering labs, supplies and meds? Chart audits? Care Planning? PT/OT? Training/supervising CNA's? Monthly change over? Auditing meds? Staff development? Wound rounds? If not the nurse, who does all that? Very curious, I never heard anyone in LTC say their job is quiet! :)

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Specializes in Emergency, Telemetry, Transplant.
Orient NOT orientated! That is one of my HUGE pet peeves- nurses who use that incorrectly. It is alert and oriented- NOT EVER EVER orientated. Ack. :)

You beat me too it. This is probably the #2 pet peeve for me behind their O2 "Stats." (oh, the OP's flag indicates that she is from the side of the pond that does not say orientated...then again, I prefer grey to gray)

I had to mention this even though it risks getting off the original topic. Anyway, I think people who posted before me gave some good suggestions about how to orient :D someone new at your job.

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