How do I orentate someone when...

[WittySarcasm]

I'm supposed to orientate a new hired nurse Monday, since I'm the permanment nurse for my unit I'm going to be orientating her for 2 days. However I'm lost on how to do it. I work at a nursing home and my unit is very boring for my job. I tend to make time go by by finding random things to do or answering call lights or talking to residents but with an orientee I can't just BS around like that.

I am the charge nurse on a floor that has 2 med nurses and 5 aides, so really all the charge nurse does is chart, take off orders and call the doctor. But unless there's an emergancy- which isn't that common at all since all of our residents are very stable- there's nothing to do. I work the 3-11 shift and sadly there's almost nothing to show this person on my unit.

I can show her how to do rounds and how to staff the unit, but that would take what...an hour?

I do help feed, so I can show her that too since we have so many feeders we need all nurses to help out. Would that be ok?

If so that takes care of 2 hours of an 8 hour day. Charting itself is almost nothing it takes maybe an hour there. So that's 3 hours taken care of and 5 hours left for me to figure out what to do. Which is what freaks me out!

I can't show her meds, since that technically isn't my job. And unlike the respiratory unit that has critical people or the other units that have nurses that do both meds and charts I got nothing! Right now I'm seeing myself as being a horrible orientator that will just be a nervous mess because my unit has nothing.

Plus I hate this because I'm still new at nursing I just barely got a year's experience and to have someone watch over me if I make a mistake. That scares me even more! Right now I'm almost hoping that someone calls off so I can either charge 2 units or be med/charge nurse, so at least I can show her something more then what I got in a slow as molasses unit.

Any ideas?

[WittySarcasm, BSN]

I just wanted to thank everyone for the suggestions I think I have an idea, I think with a second person tagging behind it's going to take longer doing things so my normal rutine, which I have gotten down super fast, should go slower which will help.

I figured that while I'm doing the rounds I'll explain the "normals" for our residents since we have so many behaviours and brain damage and some of the stuff they do is considered normal, though she may not guess that. Also I'm planning on telling little tricks we have found. Like one resident, if he gets a rash on his chest and flushed cheeks we always check his cath because that's his way of 'showing' us that he's clogged or kinked.

But then I'll show her where stuff is and show staff. Then I'll show where everything is and so on.

Doctors usually do come on my shift, usually about 3-5 is when they come to do orders. However the respiratory unit has been so overly critical that they have been busy over there that- unless there's some kind of emergency or sickness- they haven't been over as much except for a quick check in. I should be rejoicing that this has been a slow time for me. But at the same time it leaves me going- erg this will suck if it's slow when she's here.

I think I'll also offer to show her what the 11-7 nurse does, since I charge that shift on my unit sometimes and I remember what to do, kinda as a helping hand if she wants it.

Thank you so much everyone!

[honeykrown, MSN, NP]

You beat me too it. This is probably the #2 pet peeve for me behind their O2 "Stats." (oh, the OP's flag indicates that she is from the side of the pond that does not say orientated...then again, I prefer grey to gray)

I had to mention this even though it risks getting off the original topic. Anyway, I think people who posted before me gave some good suggestions about how to orient someone new at your job.

orientate is a word. You need to check your dictionary. Someone once told me "if you don't have anything constructive to say, be quiet because you would look less like a fool in the event you are wrong"

[Forever Sunshine, ASN, RN]

Oh I love training new nurses. Because I(with good intentions) put them to work! Thats what they are here for right? (Yes I've been working for over a year and I've trained 2 already)

My theory is.. the sooner they fly free.. the more comfortable they will get. When I was a new nurse I trained with a charge nurse who had this thick thick back bone. She sent me free to do fingersticks and I was frightened as anything going off on my own for the first time. But the second time I went free. I realized.. ok I can do this.

Have her do things such as pass trays, help feed, look through charts to familarize herself with the paperwork, if shes going to do meds .. have her hang out with the med nurse, .. show her everything(how to take and document orders, what to do with labs, charting, CNA assignments, residents to watch out for) because one day thats going to be her as the charge nurse and shes going to want to know what to do when shes being thrown to the wolves.

[handyrn]

This post kind if irks me. In LTC there is NEVER NEVER NEVER a time when there is NOTHING to do. And if you or her or both of you have never been a CNA, then there CERTAINLY are things to do. You can't delegate orders to CNAs if you don't know what they have to do. So, when there is down time between charge duties, you answer lights and learn a few things. Learn/teach proper positioning, brush residents' teeth, give them the back rubs that we were all taught to do every day that many CNAs no longer have the time to do, help them write letters to their loved ones, read the newspaper to those that can't see or read any more, go around and offer fluids and teach your new orientee how important proper hydration is to the elderly, practice wound care, assess skin, etc, etc, etc. I could go on forever! These may not be things that are in your/her job description, but you will never be writen up for providing extra care to the residents. If your new orientee has never worked in LTC then there is more orientation than you will ever have time for!

[LTCangel, ADN, BSN, LPN]

Ok, first of all I would like to say that I just finished "orientation" at a local LTC facility and it sucked! I just came from working 14 years in a hospital so my Nursing skills are up to date and I am very confident in them but this facility has failed to show me and make me comfortable with their policies and procedures and especially their paperwork. Oh just little things like, admission paperwork and charting, incident reporting, death papers and the procedures, etc. I got 3 12 hr nights with the RN Supervisor who had me working with her on the skilled unit( a much smaller unit) and then I came back for my next 3 orientation nights and the nurse that was to orient me had had surgery and instead of replacing her they threw me on my own with 40+ residents that I knew nothing about! Now I'm a big girl and I know Nursing can be brutal and I can take a certain amount of beating but I felt this was very unsafe and uncalled for. When I complained to the Nurse Practice Educator( who by the way said I could ask for 2 more weeks of orientation if I needed it), it turns out she was the one who told the scheduler that I was ready to be on my own with Supervision. Only one of these 3 nights included a Supervisor. This was Memorial Day weekend so you can see what happened. They threw mw to the dogs! When I was hired in, the DON(who is new) tld me she was trying to make positive changes. I had a discussion with her and told her I wasn't thinking her positive changes were taking effect! I got 2 more nights od orientation and that's it. I'm on my own. So when you are thinking about orienting someone, start by asking them what they are already comfortable with and see what they feel is important to learn. Also be sure and make them a little packet with examples of all of the paperwork they will need for all of those emergent or serious situations. any seasoned nurse can pass meds and do treatments, it may take longer in LTC but it's a basic skill unless they are a new grad. Make sure they are comfortable with knowing all those things that you take for granted now. I am still trying to decide if i want to look for another job or just stay here for a while and give it a chance. Needless to say, I have a sour taste in my mouth.

[SitcomNurse, BSN, MSN, EdD, RN]

No, really, where do you work.. Im movin to your state. Just wanna be in the roundabouts of your facility. Also wanna put my Dad there so he can get the care he deserves by having a good staffing ratio.