Amount of Experience Requirements

[kurryn]

Throughout the past two years of school a topic has come up on multiple different occasions and just wanted some outside input on what others thought about the subject.

Every hospital has different requirements when it comes to the amount of experience needed to work on certain units like ICU, ED, NICU etc.

The hospital I am precepting in will train new grads on any of these units. When I move back to my hometown, the hospital there requires 1-2 years med/surg experience before going to any specialty units.

I can really see both sides. In one aspect when you get a new grad you are able to train them just the way you want them without bringing on possible previous bad habits from other places. On the other side I can see why they would want the nurse to have some experience to be able to handle critical fast acting situations.

What are your guys' thoughts??

[NICU Guy, BSN, RN]

It depends on the size of the hospital and the unit. You can have a large teaching hospital offer 12 weeks of classroom and preceptorship that has the ability to get a new grad with no experience up to speed in an ICU. A smaller hospital may offer only 4 weeks of preceptorship and set you on your own. They would require you to have 1-2 yrs of base knowledge and experience to supplement the short orientation.