How many days is a usual orientation?

maria 007 · Jun 9, 2006

Most facilities I've worked at give new grads a minimum of 12 weeks of orientation with a preceptor. Please consider renegotiating your oriention. One week will set you up for failure.

nursemary9, BSN, RN · Jun 9, 2006

Hi

Our new grad orientation is 12-16 weeks. You work with a preceptor this entire time. If you are still not ready, they may extend the orientation.

Even experienced RN;s get 4-6 weeks here.

I would repeat what the last poster wrote, consider renegotiating the orientation or consider a different place of employment.

Mary Ann

Daytonite, BSN, RN · Jun 9, 2006

Every LTC I ever worked gave maybe a week of orientation where you got to work with someone. After that you were on your own. Oh, you were still in orientation, but you were working on your own. Isn't that interesting? Most LTCs don't have the budgets that acute hospitals have so you are expected to perform and earn your keep. The trade off will be that they are usually extremely tolerant while you are learning unless there's an anal retentive biddy on staff who has appointed herself Sheriff and tattles on everyone who makes a mistake. If you find that there is one of those around it's time to saddle up and ride over to the next ranch.

catlady, BSN, RN · Jun 10, 2006

Gotta agree with Daytonite here. I've never heard of an orientation in LTC lasting more than about a week. If you get two weeks, you've found paradise.

I'd love to know the place that gives 12 weeks with a preceptor. I never saw that much in a hospital, let alone a nursing home. One week in LTC, four to eight weeks in acute care, DOE.

weirdRN, RN · Jun 10, 2006

I got three weeks of "someone holding my hand" orientation then an additonaly three months of being mentored as a new LPN in LTC. Since getting my RN, I have had no additional training or evaluation. I have mostly learned form the policy manual and my very knowledgeable co-workers.

MA Nurse · Jun 10, 2006

Gotta agree with Daytonite here. I've never heard of an orientation in LTC lasting more than about a week. If you get two weeks, you've found paradise.
I'd love to know the place that gives 12 weeks with a preceptor. I never saw that much in a hospital, let alone a nursing home. One week in LTC, four to eight weeks in acute care, DOE.

As a new nurse in NICU, our hospital gives them 12 weeks with a preceptor plus some class time.

Blackcat99 · Jun 10, 2006

Yes most LTC's give their new nurses a one week orientation. However, at one LTC I only got a 3 hour orientation because I'm an "old nurse.'" They handed over the keys to me after 3 hours and said "Good luck.":angryfire

PhoenixGirl · Jun 10, 2006

I start my first job in a LTC facility on Monday. I am a new nurse graduate. I was wondering is the orientation just a week for most facilities. I will orient between three units for five days, then I will be on a med cart by myself. Is this the normal amount of time facilities give new graduates? Any feedback will be appreciated.

I am a new grad LPN and specifically avoided a facility that did this type of thing. It's my license I worked damn hard for and there is so much to learn, a new nurse can't do that in just a week!

I found a job in a really great acute care hospital and am on my 5th week of orientation with the same preceptor the whole way through. I feel confident and am able to handle a whole pt load for a 12 hr shift, but it's nice to still have my preceptor there showing me new things and answering questions. They are talking about taking me off orientation which I'm nervous about, but *so* glad I've been given this long time since I'm a new grad. I can't imagine having the organizational skills to do meds, assessments, treatments and wounds as a new grad in only one week. Especially with the pt loads they give you in LTC.

Rebecca

EDGRADNURSE · Jun 10, 2006

Daytonite et. al. to the rescue!

Whoo boy. Check out my post in the LTC section "new grad considering LTC". There's a lot of info there about the responsibilities of an RN in LTC. It was an eye-opener for me.

The standard for new grads starting in the hospital, in my experience, is a 12 week orientation w/preceptor and mentor (someone from education department) support. Longer orientation in EDs and ICU's (up to 6 months).

How are LTC facilities going to attract and retain RNs (or LPNs, for that matter) without proper orientation?

NebbyLPN · Jun 10, 2006

My LTC facility usually gives a new charge nurse 3 days with another charge nurse and one day somewhere during their first month where they go through policies and procedures, fire policy, other safety issues, etc. After that 3 days of on the unit orientation you are on your own. You have to be smart enough to ask questions when you need to know something. Most of us will check in with a new charge nurse to see how they are getting along. There's always something they need to know about if we don't take the time to tell them.

There was one time when the DON hired someone who went home put on her uniform and came back a couple of hours later and just dug in and started working. She's no longer working here, but she was pretty good. I think she had been working for temporary nursing agencies, so she felt pretty comfortable doing that.

catlady, BSN, RN · Jun 11, 2006

As a new nurse in NICU, our hospital gives them 12 weeks with a preceptor plus some class time.

I was talking about long-term care facilities.

But as we are now including hospitals, my new grad orientation was eight weeks. Exactly eight weeks. I learned I was off orientation when I walked in and saw I had my own assignment that night. "You've had eight weeks, now you're done." No checklist, no skills review, no transition.

But that was a really long time ago.