From the frying pan to the Fire?

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Specializes in family nurse practitioner.

So I went on an interview today for a clinic to work part time on Saturdays. I am a new grad and I will be working full time in home care, so this would be a nice experience for me. At any rate, the nurse recruiter wanted me to work the week of July because the physician is out of town. It would be my first week EVER as an NP. Its a one provider clinic so I would be alone. Seems sort of weird to me. I kept reminding him that I am a new grad. Shouldn't I have some sort of orientation? He said he would see if he could get me a 4 hour "working interview." Is this the norm? Do you just pretty much get thrown out there and then sink or swim? I don't mind jumping right in, but I would like to have a resource person or someone to bounce ideas off of seeing as how I am brand new. I remember as a new nurse I got 6 weeks of orientation. I would think that you would get a few weeks as an NP. Any personal experiences would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance :)

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

Nope - not standard at all. I too would be scared. Just the simple things: charting? How many pts will you see? What kinds of things to manage, what to refer? Gee whiz - I wouldn't do it without at least some orientation and I'm an experienced APN.

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Specializes in family nurse practitioner.

I know right. How long should it be? How long was your orientation for your first job? Thanks for replying

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

I'm still at my first job - 6 years later. I work in nephrology and had zip, nada, no experience with when I started. My orientation was 5 months long: mixture of didactic from MDs and clinical with NPs and PAs. It took that long to get credentialed at all the five hospitals, go thru all the hospitals orientation and get to know all the documentation stuff and then finally to learn my job - lol.

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I am also a new graduate NP currently in the interview process. I have a good friend who is an experienced NP. She has told me many times to expect at least a couple of months of orientation. I wouldn't feel safe alone my first week! Good luck!

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Specializes in family nurse practitioner.

Thanks clinciNP. I needed that. I have a second interview there tomorrow. I need to know how long to ask for.

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Good luck tomorrow!! These interviews are stressful!!

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