Is this New Grad Residency Program...normal?

[NewGradNurze]

Hi, sorry in advanced quite a lengthy post:

so I recently started a new job as a new grad residency nurse in a pretty well known children's hospital. They have a new grad residency program which all new grad nurses are required to be a part of. It is an 18 month-long residency so a year & 1/2.  It is broken up as follows: 6 months of orientation which consists of 10wks of days with a preceptor, 6wks of nights with a preceptor, and then approx 4wks of "partially alone" time (you are by yourself but not officially and have someone you can call on for support if needed). After that first 6 out of 18months, you are officially on your own for the last 12 months of your residency. I forgot to mention that of course their are mandatory education components and classes you attend throughout that 18 months.
 

I was hired for a night shift position and I was fully aware that I would be initially rotating with a preceptor on both day shift & night shift during my orientation phase. Makes perfect sense for a new grad to rotate in order to see how things opperate differently from days vs nights on the unit.  What I was not aware of and don't feel was clarified or explicitly stated in the job posting nor offer letter was that after the first 6 months (the orientation phase) you would spend the next 12 months (a year) rotating between both day shift AND night shift. I was originally under the impression that after the first 6 month orientation period that I would not only be on my own, but that it would officially start my straight nights shift, per the position I was hired for. I did not realize I would have to spend a year rotating between the two after having just came off of a rotating 6 month orientation. 

it's 3 months of days, and then 3 months of nights....and then repeat—another 3 months of days, and then again 3 months of nights...all until you reach the end of the year (your official end of your 18 month residency) and then at that point, you'd go to straight nights. While it was disclosed that I would be on nights, working every 3rd weekend while going over my offer letter w/ my recruiter, I later found out that we as new grads actually would be working EVERY other weekend for that entire 12 month rotating period and then after the residency finished, we'd then go to every third weekend. 
 

I guess I just kinda get the feeling of not fully knowing what I'd signed up for. My questions to you are, is this a normal length of time for a New grad RN residency program? And more specifically, does it seem odd to be required to have to rotate for an entire year (every other weekend included) before I get to my initially hired position of straight nights? There is no contractual financially-binding agreement thankfully but it just seems so excessive to me and quite frankly, potentially physically and mentally taxing to switch between days and nights for a year. 
 

I REALLY wanted this job and I specifically wanted to work at this hospital and busted my tush to land this position but now I'm just feeling so defeated with these realizations and don't know if these are red flags or not. 

[FiremedicMike, RN, EMT-P]

My residency was 12 months and there was no rotating shifts.  That would be a non starter for me. 

[NewGradNurze]

FiremedicMike said:

My residency was 12 months and there was no rotating shifts.  That would be a non starter for me. 

Yeah, I was thinking that a year seemed to be more reasonable and normal for most programs. 

[hppygr8ful, ASN, RN, EMT-I]

NewGradNurze said:

Yeah, I was thinking that a year seemed to be more reasonable and normal for most programs. 

Everyone that I know had an orientation of 1 year to 2 years especially in a specialty like Peds. Remember that you are your best advocate. Does your contract specify a financial reinbursement to the hospital if you quit. 

Your contract does not seem to be outragous but it's for you to decide. If you do leave remember to go over your offer letter line by line and don't sign a contract if you don't fully comprhend it.

Peds is an incredibly difficult because you are not just caring for your patient  you have to deal with their parents. Still it is very rewarding and I wish the best for you.

Hppy

[NewGradNurze]

hppygr8ful said:

Everyone that I know had orientation of 1 year to 2 years especially in a specially peds. Remember that you are your best advocate. Does your contract specify a financial reinbursement to the hospital if you quit. 

Your contract does not seem to be outragous but it's for you to decide. If you do leave remember to go over your offer letter line by line and don't sign a contract if you don't fully comprhend it.

Peds is an incredibly difficult because you are not just caring for your patient  you have to deal with their parents. Still it is very rewarding and I wish the best for you.

Hppy

To be honest, the 18 month duration is not really the issue. I was fully aware that I would be in the residency program for a year and a half and was totally okay with that! I think my issue more stems from the fact that 12 months out of the 18 would be spent rotating between day shift & night shift when that wasn't originally what I felt was disclosed during the time of discussing the offer and offer letter. But no, I didn't sign a contract or any financially/time-binding agreement. I know there are various hospitals that require you to sign a contract and work for the hospital for X amount of years and if you leave before that time, you're required to pay them back X amount of money. Luckily, this isn't one of those hospitals.

I thank you for your response. My goal is to remain as positive as I can with this experience and continue to be grateful that I was awarded this opportunity. 

[Stcroix, ASN, PhD, RN]

Not a normal scenario for me.  I been a preceptor for many young nurses.  I would have them an average of 10 weeks.   Then they were on their own on a floor of experienced nurses who are mostly glad to help. That's how I was trained but other parts of the country may be different. 

[FolksBtrippin, BSN, RN]

It sounds like CHOP. The rotating shifts is why I won't work for them. They are holding on to a dated way of doing things and losing a lot of people because of that, not to mention the risk to the patients. 

[Wuzzie]

Stcroix said:

Not a normal scenario for me.  I been a preceptor for many young nurses.  I would have them an average of 10 weeks.   Then they were on their own on a floor of experienced nurses who are mostly glad to help. That's how I was trained but other parts of the country may be different. 

That's for a regular orientation. The OP is talking about a new-grad  residency. 2 different things.

[hppygr8ful, ASN, RN, EMT-I]

Stcroix said:

Not a normal scenario for me.  I been a preceptor for many young nurses.  I would have them an average of 10 weeks.   Then they were on their own on a floor of experienced nurses who are mostly glad to help. That's how I was trained but other parts of the country may be different. 

This is how I trained as well. 20 years ago. I am also the resource nurse which means I am available to the young nurses. 

[JKL33]

NewGradNurze said:

I'm just feeling so defeated with these realizations and don't know if these are red flags or not. 

If it seems like they were careful not to disclose their intention, that is certainly a red flag.

As for the extended length of time with rotating shifts, it's a terrible plan. No one should be aiming that far out to do things that way but instead should be earnestly looking for better ways to staff. Rotating shifts wreak havoc on people and surely the already know that. I would say it is completely unacceptable except...

NewGradNurze said:

There is no contractual financially-binding agreement thankfully

Excellent. So capitalize on the learning opportunity of the initial residency and see where it goes from there.

[LibraSunCNM, BSN, MSN, CNM]

That's so bizarre.  What is supposed to be the benefit of rotating from days to nights q3months?  I can't believe in this day and age ANYONE is still mandating rotating shifts, with as much research as we have that shows how unhealthy it is.

[NewGradNurze]

LibraSunCNM said:

That's so bizarre.  What is supposed to be the benefit of rotating from days to nights q3months?  I can't believe in this day and age ANYONE is still mandating rotating shifts, with as much research as we have that shows how unhealthy it is.

Yeah, I haven't really heard the rationale behind rotating Q3months for a year. I totally get having precepted experience on both nights and days to make sure we are aware of how the unit operates differently depending on the shift but to have us continue doing it for a year seemed odd to me.