How long was your new employee training?

[Marisette, BSN, RN]

How long was your training as a new employee, although not a new graduate?

I just took on a job as a triage nurse and was expected to be on my own in 4 days. This is a new specialty for me and a new EMR. I was informed during my interview that training would depend on my needs, but now, my preceptor tells me, I'm on my own. She just walked away, shouted that I should look at my notes. She tells me that she is going on FMLA and apparently there is no one else to train me in this busy 10 provider practice. There appears to be about 50-100 triage calls which involve mostly med refills in a day, with the occasional walk in patient for triage.

The morale in the office is quite low and the manager is said hide in her office by the medical assist and my trainer. She has been on vacation since I started. The physicians come to me like I should know everything, one has a habit or rolling her eyes. I think this preceptor has been gossiping about me. I feel I did not misrepresent myself when I interviewed. It's hard to learn when the trainer is shouting at you. I did speak to her about this. It looks like I may get 3 more days, don't know.

I would bolt out of there, but returning to my old job is not an option because of the commuting that it involved (home dialysis). I simply can't do it anymore and my previous employer was upset that I was direction challenged and "inflexible". But nurses were asked to move from facility to facility, in addition to patient's home.

Now, I'm stuck drowning in a new job, with a preceptor who has no intention of training and is going on FMLA. I suspect this whole FMLA was scheduled purposely to prove herself indispensable. Moreover, this new employer failed to notify me that conditions had changed and I would not have a trainer prior to my start date. I can handle much of the medical questions, but I'm challenged with the EMR and refills because physicians don't send out many of their medication orders. The OB and Peds cases are new to me. I was told by my preceptor that manager does not know how to triage so she can't help me.

Is it normal to get 4 days training and set off on your own?

[westieluv]

I have noticed this trend throughout nursing in recent years, with the exception of one of the Big Two dialysis companies that trained me very, very thoroughly for several weeks to do acute dialysis.

Judging by what you say about your new work environment, I wonder if your preceptor is using her FMLA not to prove how indispensable she is, but to scoot on out of the company without having to face management. I have seen other nurses do this when they want to leave a position but are afraid to out and out quit. They take FMLA for this or that and then just never return.

Anyway, I feel for you. I just left a triage job where I had an abbreviated orientation, although longer than yours, and I was also told to rely on my notes. It was very rocky at first, and I so wanted to quit. It did get better with time, but I ultimately didn't enjoy the work and ironically, as my situation is the exact opposite of yours, I chose to return to dialysis nursing, only to chronic instead of acute dialysis because the hours in acutes will absolutely kill you, body and soul, if you don't work in a well run program, which I did not. I am going to work for the "other" dialysis company this time, and so far it sounds really good. However, if they try to short me on orientation because I have dialysis experience, I am going to let them know that I won't tolerate that. Your orientation is the basis for your overall experience, job satisfaction, feeling of competence, etc., etc. at a job and I think these "abbreviated to save money" orientations like you are describing undermine all of those things.

I wish I could help, I can imagine how awful it feels. You have dialysis experience, just wondering if you would consider working in a chronic dialysis unit if there is one nearby? Stable hours, no Sundays or holidays, and you are already competent in the dynamics of dialysis. I have worked for many different companies in my career, and so far the Big Two dialysis companies seem to give the best training.

Best of everything to you, whatever you decide to do.

[SarahMaria, MSN, RN]

As a new grad and new to facility nurse, I received a 10 day orientation.

[dishes, BSN, RN]

I don't think comparing your training experience to other's is going to help make your situation less overwhelming. Can you make plans to develop a step by step routine that suits your own learning style? Some EMR systems are not user friendly at all and require many steps to enter information, if you have one of these systems, it will be a matter of repetition over and over until you become proficient with it. Do you have access to a trainer manual or the company website for the EMR? If so, there may some helpful user tips in them.

In regards to the large volume of triage, along with the provider's rolled eyes and exasperated comments from the impatient preceptor, tell them calmly that the learning curve is steep and the only way you will become efficient is with experience. Try and stay confident, it's normal to have moments of doubt when learning a new position. Remember you have years of nursing experience and your own unique talent to offer.

[LeChien, BSN, RN]

3 days in any LTC, one day in private duty.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

As a new grad LVN at a LTC facility in February 2006, I received one 8-hour shift of training before being cut loose to work on my own.

Thereafter, the vast majority of jobs have provided anywhere from two to four days of training. The exception is my current case management position, which entailed five to six weeks of loosely organized training.

[Marisette, BSN, RN]

I wish I could go back, but there are no nearby openings in my area. I also did home dialysis and I had problems with the commute and covering multiple clinics so I don't think they will take me back. Although, I left in good terms, they knew I was not an eager beaver when sent to multiple companies. Bad thing about dialysis is that it's basically a monopoly of two companies. In some states the two companies are not equally represented and when you leave or are terminated, there is no place to go in the dialysis industry.

I agree regarding the acutes. I did that for awhile and would not go back. The home dialysis was ok for awhile, but when census is low, nurses were pressured to recruit patient's or float multiple facilities. I would be working in one area and be called to another, back and forth. There was also alot of pressure to meet goals and numbers for medicare reimbursement and in the home population, the non-compliance is rampant. Whenever, patient goals were not met, there were meeting, conferences and shaming. Dialysis can be very challenging also. However, I do regret leaving my dialysis job and trying to start over at this point in my life. I wished I had just toughen up until retirement.

[Marisette, BSN, RN]

I don't think comparing your training experience to other's is going to help make your situation less overwhelming. Can you make plans to develop a step by step routine that suits your own learning style? Some EMR systems are not user friendly at all and require many steps to enter information, if you have one of these systems, it will be a matter of repetition over and over until you become proficient with it. Do you have access to a trainer manual or the company website for the EMR? If so, there may some helpful user tips in them.

In regards to the large volume of triage, along with the provider's rolled eyes and exasperated comments from the impatient preceptor, tell them calmly that the learning curve is steep and the only way you will become efficient is with experience. Try and stay confident, it's normal to have moments of doubt when learning a new position. Remember you have years of nursing experience and your own unique talent to offer.

Thank You for the encouragement and the tips. The EMR in use is one used for non-profit clinics and it is archaic. This is a company of about 13 family practice clinics, mostly low income and everything imaginable comes through the door. There is partial government funding. I asked for a manual and the preceptor said there was none, but I think I saw an old dusty book on a counter. Unfortunately, there is almost nothing on the company website., just service advertisement. I thought a smaller company would be more friendly, but I realize now it just means less resources. I will have to just bear with it until something else becomes available.

[Marisette, BSN, RN]

wow, what a surprise to me. I guess i had been employed in the same company for so long that I did not realize what the new world is like. Gets tougher every day.

[Marisette, BSN, RN]

3 days in any LTC, one day in private duty.

A real awakening of nursing in 2016. I was licensed in 1988 and it seemed a six week training was the norm back then.

[Mandychelle79, ASN, RN]

I think my orientation was 6 weeks

[CowboyMedic, DNP, APRN, CRNA]

Step Down ICU, 12 weeks plus Critical Care Residency classes. Spent almost a year there. Currently in my first week of Med Surg ICU orientation, haven't been given a time frame yet but most new hires are also 12 weeks.