Feeling pressure to get off orientation!

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Hi. I graduated in May 2010 and I worked at a nursing home for 2 months before getting fired for a medication error (leaving a cup of meds in a pt room). I just got a job at a county jail as a RN. I have had 5 days orientation and the nurse supervisor was asking me if I was ready to get off orientation!! I was hired with another RN but she has about 15 years experience and all she needed was 3 days orientation. I feel alot of pressure from people to get off orientation but I dont want her to think that I am an idiot for not grasping things as fast. I have trouble with intakes and when to call the MD and when not to or when to send out a inmate to the hospital. I am sooo afraid of being alone when an officer calls me down for a inmate emergency and I won't know what to do. I also lost my previous job for a really stupid mistake and I am soooooo terrified of losing my job again. I was thinking I would get about 3 weeks or a month orientation but I had no idea they wanted to grasp everything in a couple days! Any advice...

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Specializes in Home Health- LTAC- Telemetry-.

Sorry to hear this... I am about to finish my three week orientation in an acute floor and I am terrified of the fact that I will be by myself soon. Hang in there, try to learn as much as posible and if they allow you to take more days of orientation do it!!

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Sorry to hear this... I am about to finish my three week orientation in an acute floor and I am terrified of the fact that I will be by myself soon. Hang in there, try to learn as much as posible and if they allow you to take more days of orientation do it!!

Good luck to OP. I have 18 weeks and I'm on the 9th week now and still overwhelmed sometimes. Please do not feel stupid or anything negative of yourself! Did they discuss anything about orientation length? I would ask for more shifts because you do not want to risk your license ans your patients' lives. Best wishes for you!!!

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Specializes in being a Credible Source.

Advice: "Honesty is the best policy."

Talk to the manager and be straight about how you're feeling and that you think 2-3 more weeks would be appropriate.

Honest dialog is always the place to start.

That said, you should reframe terms like "sooo afraid" and "terrified" (I'm sure you're not really feeling terror) with terms like "apprehensive" and "want to be prepared for." Seek to portray *appropriate* confidence but be clear that you feel a longer orientation is warranted.

Note, however, that "orientation" isn't really intended to prep you for "when to call the doc," etc... Rather, orientation is "here's where we keep this stuff, here's the policy book, here's what we do when..." The nursing judgment stuff comes only with experience.

One thing about which to get crystal clear: Who to call when you don't know the answer.

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