Is my orientation too short?

Specialties MICU

Published

I have a year and half of Tele experience, I started in local MICU and was told that I will receive 3 weeks (9 shifts) of on the floor training. I am concerned that it is too short, but the educator stated that it will be enough because I worked on Tele prior to this. Any thoughts?

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What size is your MICU? Do you know what kinds of therapies and acuity you take?

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Did you take a critical care course before having those 3 weeks on the floor? My hospital requires a course that they provide (and pay you to take) that is 8 weeks - like nursing school with class time and clinical time on the unit you are hired to work. Then after you pass a crazy hard test- you then continue on to train with a preceptor for 3-4 weeks. I felt it was the perfect amount of time before going out on my own.

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

HUmmmm....seems quick. Do you have any classroom time? how "acute" are your patients?

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It's Level I trauma hospital, I work in MICU, we also have SICU, TICU, CTICU etc. several different ICUs. I was told this floor has the sickest patients. We have about 30-35 beds.

The hospital does not offer extensive critical care course. There are couple of days of classes later.... I wish they were before the my training on the floor. Eight weeks of classes, that sounds really great!

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That sounds way too short. I had 12 weeks and felt that was pretty adequate, but I still run across scenarios/treatments that I wasn't exposed to with a preceptor. Are the nurses on the floor approachable and willing to help out alot?

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Acuity... Well, it's level one trauma, the manager told me we get the sickest patients. I will have several drips, couple titratable, a lot of codes, busy Labs, orders, most patients are ventilated, etc.

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