How many patients???

Nurses New Nurse

Published

Hi guys,

I am looking for some opinions!!!!

I am only on week 3 of orientation and my preceptor made me take 6 patients when I told her I was not comfortable with that. I was supposed to start the night with 4 but due to high census I took 5. About 1 hour into my shift we got a new admit and preceptor said she wanted me to take it, keep in mind she had no patients at all I took the whole load, I told her I was a little behind already and did not feel I would be able to finish everything as it was and that I also did not feel it was safe for me to take a 6th patient. She told me to bad this is the real world!!!!!!

Do you feel this is appropriate or should I run? One last tid bit the nurses typically have 7-9 patients and I will be expected to take that many when my orientation ends (6 weeks early d/t short staff) NEXT WEEK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

:banghead:

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Hospice.

I'm taking 7 now and have 1 1/2 weeks until I'm off orientation. It's hard and I run the whole shift, but at least I still have a preceptor to catch the things I'm missing-I am taking all of her patients too, but she is extremely helpful and asks often if I'm doing alright. I will have had 8 weeks total by the time I'm on my own.

If your orientation ends next week and you will be expected to take 7-9 patients then, taking 6 this week would be good practice for it. But if you're not ready for that many, you need more time to get ready! Can you get another week or two of orientation? I can't believe they are ending yours 6 weeks early. That is just so wrong!

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No they will not give me more time, I was supposed to have a ten week orientation with the option to take two more weeks after that if I felt I needed it, but due to short staff I was told "I need to step up the pace and be off orientation next week (4th week). I was also told that the max patient load would be 6, now I am being told 7-9 most of which are high acuity patients!!!!

I'm nervous because I don't feel I could practice safely with that size load so soon, especially with no medical background, no CNA, Tech experience or anything.

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I graduate 8/1/08. My instructor told me to expect at least 8weeks of orientation. The hospital I plan to work promised 12weeks and a MAX patient load of 7. I know alot of times they will tell you anything to get you on board. If you are not ready to the point of practicing safetly they should give you more time. I am an LPN, so if they try to take me off orientation after 8weeks I will deal with it, but after 4weeks and 2 more patients than promised NO WAY!!:nono: Good Luck

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Specializes in Chiropractic assistant, CNA in LTC, RN.

If you are promised a 12 week orientation and only given 4, that is totally unfair and sounds illegal in some ways. It would scare the heck out of me if I were a patient in that particular facility. I think I would speak to one of the higher ups (DON perhaps) and see what he/she thinks about this particular policy. I can't speak for you but I wouldn't feel comfortable at all working in a facility that cuts a nurse's orientation down by a third. Not safe for you or your patients.

Good luck. I hope things work out for you.

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Specializes in ED/trauma.

Did your employment contract stipulate the amount of time for your orientation? If so, they're obligated to live up to those terms -- just as you would be if you signed a 1 year commitment or pay the hospital back (like I did). Always get things in writing and always defer to them!

My manager pulled something similar on me, where she said my orientation was 8 weeks, but I could have another 2, if I needed them. When I asked for those other 2 weeks, she "suggested" that I give it a go on my own. I struggled miserably for the first month or so on my own. I honestly don't know if those extra 2 weeks would have helped, because my preceptor was baaad, but I still wish I would have stood up for myself.

If you don't have any written documentation, go to HR, the nursing sup, or even the CNO -- basically, wherever your chain of command leads. The bottom line is, at this point in time, are you capable of SAFELY practicing nursing ON YOUR OWN. If not, I would thurst that ball back into your DON's or the hospital's court. Ultimately, if THEY are putting you in a situation where you are not capable of performing safely, then you are allowing them to compromise YOUR license and the safety of THEIR patients.

What's more important to you?

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Specializes in Chiropractic assistant, CNA in LTC, RN.
Did your employment contract stipulate the amount of time for your orientation? If so, they're obligated to live up to those terms -- just as you would be if you signed a 1 year commitment or pay the hospital back (like I did). Always get things in writing and always defer to them!

If you don't have any written documentation, go to HR, the nursing sup, or even the CNO -- basically, wherever your chain of command leads. The bottom line is, at this point in time, are you capable of SAFELY practicing nursing ON YOUR OWN. If not, I would thurst that ball back into your DON's or the hospital's court. Ultimately, if THEY are putting you in a situation where you are not capable of performing safely, then you are allowing them to compromise YOUR license and the safety of THEIR patients.

What's more important to you?

I totally agree. You worked way to hard to get that license to lose it because the facility wants to skimp on training. It's not your fault that they are short staffed.

I also like what was said about getting things in writing. I would have never thought about getting the length of promised orientation in writing but after reading this post, I will certainly not be shy about asking for just that. Thank you for bringing it my attention.

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Specializes in ED/trauma.
...

I also like what was said about getting things in writing. I would have never thought about getting the length of promised orientation in writing but after reading this post, I will certainly not be shy about asking for just that. Thank you for bringing it my attention.

Well, big surprise, they had no problem having ME sign THEIR contract regarding my 12 month contract with them...but I do not recall, at any point, signing a contract with my DON regarding the length of time for my training -- it was all verbal.

Also, I was promised a bunch of feedback. I got almost NONE from my preceptor. (Again, she wasn't all that great...) When I spoke up about this, I got the same old, "Well, give it another week or so, and see how it goes." Of course, that fell right on through the cracks.

After my preceptorship ended, my preceptor had me fill out the self-eval portion of my orientation eval -- and then never showed me HER feedback. She said I had to do it since JCAHO would be coming in soon, and the DON wanted to make sure all the paperwork was caught up on. (It was funny because, at the same time, she was filling out the form for someone she had precepted months ago!)

After that, the only next time I got ANY feedback was when our "annual eval" was done. They're all done at the same time, so mine was actually at 5 months. Even then, it was like 5 minutes long, my rating was all "average," and I was told this is to be expected for a new grad, and that my eval was even better than most of the new grads. Thanks, that's real helpful... It's like they have the "no news is good news" approach -- unless **I** bring it up -- like my absence problem, for example -- but that's another story :stone

Anyway...

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