RN Orientation Length

1. For registered, I have a few questions related to your orientation.
   
   1. What specialty/specialties?
   
   2. Orientation length for those specialties?
   
   3. Size of hospital for the orientations?
   
   Thanks,
   Birdbr

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2. 

   About Birdbr, CNA

   Joined: Aug '09; Posts: 89; Likes: 48
   Nursing Assistant; from US
   Specialty: 5 year(s) of experience in Long Term Care; Skilled Nursing

   9 Comments

   Comment
3. 
   Apr 30, '11

   Registered Nurse in Miami, FL LTAC patients (in pretty bad condition) 50 beds hospital ... 4 weeks of orientation, could extend to 6 only if really needed
4. 
   May 1, '11

   PICU in New Jersey- 12 weeks. 20 bed PICU, nearly 700 bed hospital.
5. 
   May 1, '11

   Ortho/urology
   
   3 month orientation that included nclex review and nursing classes (heparin, EKG, sepsis, etc) - they really prepares us (6 months for ICU)
   
   300 bed hospital

   Last edit by SNIXRN on May 1, '11
6. 
   May 1, '11

   Here in Ontario, we have something called a "New Graduate Guarantee", where the government funds employers of new grad nurses to have 3-6 months of orientation under a preceptor (a more experienced nurse). I participated in it, although my experience with the program was....different.
   
   I had roughly a month with a preceptor, and then took on 3-patient assignments (our usual on our floor is 4-5). Once I got comfortable with that, I started taking on 4 patients. I did ask for my manager for another week with a preceptor somewhere in there because I found I was really struggling to handle 4 patients (but really, I just had crappy assignments, lol).
   
   We also had paid education days scattered throughout to cover a wide variety of topics.
   
   I did this for a total of 5 months.
   
   This is at a large hospital (~450 beds).
   Our floor has 58 beds but space for an additional 2 if we're in overcapacity. It is a combination of medical/oncology/palliative.
7. 
   May 2, '11

   I am going to get 12 weeks orientation on a cardiac step-down floor at a 700 bed facility.
8. 
   May 5, '11

   Operating Room (does GU/GYN, ortho, neuro, peds/peds CT, ENT, trauma, and transplants)
   
   9 months roughly - 3 learning instruments, 1 of classroom, and 5 going through the service groups
   
   750 bed hospital (teaching)
9. 
   May 11, '11

   It totally depends on the area, your experience level and the requirements for that facility. I just started working for the state last November as a nursing home complaint investigator/ surveyor and my orientation period will be one year. And they no not expect me to really know my job until about two years. I have been a nurse for 33 years. It is a totally different line of work. So it is very variable.
10. 
    May 11, '11

    Thanks so much for replying. All these answers are very helpful.
11. 
    May 13, '11

    special procedures-endoscopy, OR sedates, IV infusions, wound care, radiology
    6 months orientation with a preceptor
    small community hospital 125 beds

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