Is this enough training for experienced nurse?

[Jaellys]

Two weeks of floor training for a nurse with two years of med surg experience. This will be for a med surg floor. I’ve been told it’s busier on this floor but the patient ratio is lower than I’m used to which is good I guess.

They said it would be one patient first day, then second two patients, 3rd day 3 patients, and the final days with 4 patients.

i also know their computer system as I currently use it now.

[10GaugeNeedles, BSN]

Yes

[Jedrnurse, BSN, RN]

Sounds reasonable under your scenario.

[Nurse SMS, MSN, RN]

Plenty of time.

[RNperdiem, RN]

That seems reasonable. Anything more than "the break room is here, supply closet is over there, the unit secretary is named Bob, and this is your patient assignment" is usually enough.

[amoLucia]

4 hours ago, RNperdiem said:

That seems reasonable. Anything more than "the break room is here, supply closet is over there, the unit secretary is named Bob, and this is your patient assignment" is usually enough.

Good intro but you forgot to add "this is the key to the bathroom and this is for the med room".

[CalicoKitty, BSN, MSN, RN]

I don't quite understand why they would start with 1 patient and increase. When I joined the float pool at a new hospital, I had 3 days of training - one day on 3 different units. Plus the usual hospital orientation with the skills checkoffs.

[Jaellys]

11 hours ago, CalicoKitty said:

I don't quite understand why they would start with 1 patient and increase. When I joined the float pool at a new hospital, I had 3 days of training - one day on 3 different units. Plus the usual hospital orientation with the skills checkoffs.

I think to help me get accustomed to the unit and the orders etc. does this seem unusual?

[CalicoKitty, BSN, MSN, RN]

Just now, Jaellys said:

I think to help me get accustomed to the unit and the orders etc. does this seem unusual?

I'm not sure about unusual since I don't know the norm. I just thought that starting with 1 patient would be something reserved for new grad nurses. Even some of the new grad programs start them with full patient loads (but fewer responsibilities). I'd probably go insane with 1 patient on a med-surg floor.

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

Moved to Med-Surg forum

[motor_mouth, MSN, RN]

I work in a non-M/S unit that is considered of lesser acuity. We get NO orientation to the M/S floors but get floated there when needed. Some are nice and show us the lay of the land, others just say "here's your assignment" and leave you clueless.

[turtlesRcool]

1 hour ago, motor_mouth said:

I work in a non-M/S unit that is considered of lesser acuity. We get NO orientation to the M/S floors but get floated there when needed. Some are nice and show us the lay of the land, others just say "here's your assignment" and leave you clueless.

So this seems pretty dangerous to me if there has literally been NO orientation to m/s at all. I don't think it's practical to orient every nurse to every unit, but I do think you should have some general orientation to m/s, however brief. Honestly, floating to one m/s unit is pretty much like another. Of course you're more likely to encounter one type of patient on one floor and another type of patient on another floor, but the basics of the job are largely unchanged.

I'm in the float pool, and most floors are pretty similar. We aren't supposed to float "upwards" in acuity or to specialty floors without orientation, but sometimes it happens. Though I've never oriented there, I had a good day on Progressive Care last week. Since I wasn't really "supposed" to be there, they gave me "easy" patients, who really weren't more complicated than the ones I'm used to on m/s floors. Mostly, if I have a problem or a question, I'll just ask for help. Some floors are better than others at being proactive in giving floats a heads-up, but just about everyone will help if directly asked.