ER Orientation

[chelsea554]

Hello,

I work for a level II adult and pediatric trauma center that sees approximately 93,000 patients annually. I am looking for other organizations who can tell me the following information:

For ER orientation, how many weeks is your orientation for:

1. Graduate nurses

2. Seasoned ER nurses

3. Season RN's from other areas in the hospital

Thank you for your time!

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

Moved to the Emergency Nursing forum for more replies.

[Murse901, MSN, RN]

In my organization, orientation is not unit-specific. New grad nurses get 480 hours of orientation. Experienced nurses (regardless of the area they came from) get 240 hours. PRNs/weekenders get 120 hours. Having said that, orientation can be extended for a short time if the nurse doesn't feel comfortable in the role, but if the orientation gets to be too long (more than a few weeks beyond expected), then they may have to look at working somewhere else.

[Nurse326]

Your hospital sounds similar to mine. My new grad RN program allows for 12 weeks of orientation in the ER. One day of classroom time and two 12-hr shifts every week.

[GM2RN]

As a seasoned nurse transferring from one ER to another within the same corporation, I got 6 weeks. I don't about the others.

[Lunah, MSN, RN]

As a seasoned nurse going to work PRN at a Level 1, I got 9 shifts. Going to work PRN in two non-trauma EDs (I floated between two EDs in the same hospital system, they were very different!), I got 6 shifts to orient in one, and got pulled off of orientation in the second one halfway through the first orientation shift to cover someone who had a family emergency. Lol. I didn't mind, I felt comfortable enough and they didn't drown me. I miss that place, it was good.

As a new grad I had 12 weeks of orientation, including 8 weeks of an ER Nurse Fellowship at our system's Level 1.

[LoveMyBugs, BSN, CNA, RN]

My system has a residency program for new grads that is 18 weeks long with 3 different preceptors and classroom time, we were using the Versent program, but then we created our own.

For a experienced nurse transitioning to a new specialty it is around 8 wks.

Experienced nurse in same specialty it is tailored to meet their learning needs and can be as short as 6 shifts or up to 8 wks.

[rhine1121]

For new grad RNs, 13 weeks- one week general orientation and the rest clinicals. For experienced RNs transitioning from one specialty to ER, not less than 6 weeks, could be shorter if they are that good. And for those experienced ER RNs from another facility,also not less than 6 weeks , probably less if they are good and also familiar with EMR charting. My own orientation was 6 weeks and I was asked to be let loose at 4 weeks.

[Salter444]

I have seen up to 3 months for newbie nurses and I have received as little as three shifts.