How does your unit train Level II Nursery Nurses?

[classicalcat]

Hi All,

I am curious what your hospitals do for training this area? When I was trained (years ago), I had 2 months with one-to-one precepting with another nursery nurse. This was after working postpartum for over a year (we do couplet care). Now, it seems that the status quo is to quickly train nursery nurses, with perhaps 3 shifts precepting, and then the new person is acting as the nursery nurse with the experienced nurse "available for back-up." This can be problematic, if the other nurse is not immediately available (i.e., that person has a full team of patients out on the floor).

Granted, we are not a level III NICU, but we do get babies on CPAP, drug withdrawal, antibiotics, feeder/growers, and attend high risk deliveries--just not every day.

Just curious what other hospitals do! Thanks!

[melmarie23, MSN, RN]

We have a SCN/Level II with the same population as yours and I got 4 months of orientation (at two,12h shifts/week as I am PT). I'm also to always be scheduled with a mentor immediately available, meaning a light floor assignment that can easily be passed to another RN, for another 6 months (at the very least--more if needed). I am halfway through the latter. They always put me in the SCN, except for my call shifts (I get labor then). We are a LDRP unit with the SCN, of which about a third of us are trained to the nursery.

[classicalcat]

Thanks for the reply! This seems about right to me. Good to know...