How long SHOULD orientation be?

[Libby1987]

Okay, I know there isn't a black and white answer, but what are the orientation needs of your new nurses (not talking seasoned nurses, but either new grad or relatively new nurse, the field is new to them) and how much orientation do you think they should require? Do you see a wide variance amongst your new hires' ability to learn and adapt or are the majority shorted or ?

Please discuss.

[Beffers81]

I just graduated in December. My first RN job will be in a hospital that offers a residency program that ranges from 8-16 weeks of training. I have orientation for only 2 days

[Libby1987]

I just graduated in December. My first RN job will be in a hospital that offers a residency program that ranges from 8-16 weeks of training. I have orientation for only 2 days

I'm not sure what you mean. Classroom/HR orientation for 2 days?

Isn't the residency itself a type of orientation program?

[AJJKRN]

I believe that three months with solid preceptors on a regular hospital floor (ortho, tele, trauma, neuro, etc) along with at least a years worth of available mentoring for a new nurse is adequate enough for a new nurse regardless of clinical experience.

If it's ED, NICU, SICU, CVICU, Stepdown (maybe even Peds, labor & delivery, etc as well) should be six months along with the year mentoring program. My ICU floors actually have been putting a new to ICU nurse with the Stepdown or lighter ICU Pt's for the first year and then transitioning them to the more complex/unstable Pt's afterwards.

Now it would be nice if the unit educator or residency staff educators could spend one day a week in a class setting going over scenarios, IV pumps, protocols, etc for about the first three months...wouldn't that be great to close the gap and account for all the different clinical backgrounds all the while acclimating the nurses to the facility and equipment!

I still think that a seasoned nurse should get the same amount of time and support until they feel ready to fly solo. I have always felt that when training an experienced nurse new to my hospital that I know I'm not teaching them how to be a nurse but I am teaching them how to be a "insert company name here" nurse. Besides, learning how to navigate the charting system, payroll, etc may be what holds up the experienced nurse the most anyways unlike Pt skills and time management.

Disclaimer: I honestly don't know what to suggest for the OR/PACU...six months to a year I would think at least!