Length of er orientation?

care4you · Apr 30, 2009

the orientation i am doing is 6 months, 1 week critical care floor, the rest is classroom/ER

Blee O'Myacin, BSN, RN · Apr 30, 2009

We orient our new grads for six months. There is a mix of classroom and floating to other floors, either ICU or PCU, and a medic ride-along and a few shifts in the peds ER. Six weeks is not enough time for a new grad to orient for anywhere.

Medic09, BSN, RN, EMT-P · Apr 30, 2009

6 months where I am.

Intubate89 · May 1, 2009

6 weeks? OMG, I hope you have at least some experience as a tech, CNA, or student nurse elsewhere in the hospital. Over the last 10 years or so, specialty areas have been shortening their orientations due to the severity of the nursing shortage. As well, new grads. have been accepted into areas traditionally reserved for experienced nurses.

Please be careful and ask yourself why this ER is only giving you 6 weeks. Are they that desperate for staff and if so, do you want to risk your license?

Your first year of nursing will be your hardest year of your career. This is when you truly learn what nursing is all about and the added stress of a specialized area, without proper orientation, will only compound your worries.

At my place, new graduates are hired but only if they've been working in the department as an EMT or tech. Then, they're given a minimum of 3 months with a preceptor. After that, further buddy time is negotiable.

LLLLiiiFFEsaveer · May 1, 2009

These responses seem right on!

I would not think that less than 12 weeks... And at that point, no shame in extending for another 3 weeks.

Is this a 100,000 patients plus per year ER, or smaller?

SueNYC · May 1, 2009

Its a level 2 and they see about 75,000 per yr. I have no prior hospital experience and have only worked in a ltc for a few years which is as far opposite you can get from er! I am apprehensive because Ive been reading 6 months everywhere is ideal but it's been quite some time since ive graduated and jobs are VERY scarce in NY right now so I feel lucky to have been offered the position. I accepted the job offer today. Though im ridiculously nervous im so excited !!

LLLLiiiFFEsaveer · May 1, 2009

Cingrats.

Plenty of fun to follow...

Ian

maplern · May 2, 2009

I just attended a 2 day preceptor seminar and found out that our local hospital orients new grads for one year, and their retention at the end of that year has been 100%. I'm not sure how long they would orient RNs who are not new grads. You should not be afraid to advocate for yourself if you find yourself needing more time - I've heard many places will consider this. Good luck.

Editorial Team / Moderator · May 3, 2009

I oriented for 4 months, but this was also in the same ER where I'd been a tech for 3.5 years, so I had a lot of experience with how things were done. In addition to my days precepting in the ER, I also did an ER Fellowship (classroom training) that was 3 months long, 2 days per week. Good stuff. And even with 3.5 years of working in this ER, plus 5 years of being a paramedic, there is no way I'd want to come off of orientation after just 6 weeks. No way.

Shinchan · May 3, 2009

So being a new grad RN with no hospital experience (3 years EMT)- three months orientation is enough? I'm getting nervous now...

Editorial Team / Moderator · May 3, 2009

So being a new grad RN with no hospital experience (3 years EMT)- three months orientation is enough? I'm getting nervous now...

The EMT experience might help a little, depending on how active an EMT you were, but it's like comparing apples and oranges ... you can eat both of them, but they taste very different. You know what I mean? But everyone is different! :)