Is this normal?

CTnewgrad826 · Jan 12, 2015

Ask to be put back on orientation, 3 days seems impossible to learn much of anything

THELIVINGWORST, ASN, RN · Jan 12, 2015

That seems to be the norm for LTC.

Nick2you · Jan 14, 2015

I don't think they will. Three days seems to be the max amount of time given for orientation

Jessie71385 · Jan 14, 2015

Nick2you, unfortunately this is pretty standard for LTC. I would advise that if you don't feel comfortable that you request more orientation. LTC is awesome and fun, but it isn't for everyone. Good luck!

caliotter3 · Jan 14, 2015

Have you found another nurse that you can comfortably bounce questions off of? Of course, try to figure things out as much as you can on your own; if necessary, do homework. And the house supervisor is your go to person if the other nurses are not very patient with you.

Nick2you · Jan 18, 2015

Yes the nurse who was my preceptor is very helpful and I still ask her questions. I'm just frustrated because I feel like the management at this place is terrible, this place has the worst staffing issues I've ever seen, and the sraff is just unprofessional. I like the residents, but I can't stand the staff. I feel bad because I've already started looking for another job

caliotter3 · Jan 18, 2015

Just keep in mind that the next place that you go to may have the same problems, perhaps even worse. LTC facilities tend to have similar working atmospheres. Very good ones are hard to find and rarely have openings because employees know a good thing when they have found it.

fangirl · Jan 28, 2015

As a new LPN I had to do 40 shifts of orientation

sallyrnrrt, ADN, RN · Jan 28, 2015

it is fairly normal

play your pros and cons

brujacakes · Jan 28, 2015

I share your pain, I too am a recent grad (May 2014) and accepted a full-time 11-7 position in a LTC facility because simply I needed to work asap when I finished school.

My orientation was 2 weeks of watching videos from the 1970's about very few things that directly apply to my job. I am now expected to care for PICC's, IV's, feeding tubes and worst of all psych patients with their psych meds d/c'd due to facility policy....by myself, 1:45 nurse : patient ratio......no training on these topics, OTJ....figure it out yourself. I am overwhelmed, untrained, stressed, gaining weight, cry a lot, and all around miserable from the experience. I forgot to mention the work schedule, 2 days off once every 2 weeks...ughhh! Then to add salt to the wound, "educated" yesterday on acquiring too much incremental overtime because I am 15min late in getting my work done..... narcs count for 2 med carts, report done for the entire floor, BM protocol complete, what feels like a million FBS cks, a med pass for the entire floor and unnecessary, redundant charting for 45 people. Of course there is also the assisting CNA's since there are only 2 on night shift, toileting people, answering an insane amount of bed alarms and chart checks which are a mess since it is inexperienced people writing MD orders.

I too, am looking for another job but I fear this is nursing and it will not be any better anywhere else. I feel so defeated that I invested 5 years in school and 30k in debt to land the worst job of my life. It makes my worst bartending jobs (which got me through school) look like Shangri-La. I wish for a vacation everyday.....a permanent one.

I am not a negative person but having a very negative week, hoping one day off in 8 days will allow me to find some positive in life and venting truly helps.

brujacakes · Jan 28, 2015

Oh, I forgot the staffing issues.....I am called constantly to come in early, stay late, work another shift....all for STRAIGHT time, they will offset your overtime by having you work half your regular shift on a day when it is convenient for them before the pay period ends in order to avoid paying you overtime and they can not for the life of them understand why nobody answers their phone, Lol

Sounds like we are living parallel lives, Lol