I would seriously like to know. In Eastern WA., most facilities will only offer a new LPN grad (1) week orientation at a LTC facility. I would think that with the acuity level - a month would be appropiate, even 2 weeks would feel right. Come on, RN's will receive TON's of time in a pediatric setting, orientating- So, on the flip-side, that must mean that Geriatrics just do not rate very high. Pretty lame.
Can someone who might know, tell me why things are so messed up in the Nursing field overall.... I had an interview with a RN supervisor, in a LTC facility recently, tell me as a new LPN grad applicant that, "People either are able to get "IT", in a week, or they're not." What total B.S. I swear...
Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.
I am a new grad and I got 4 hrs of orientation. This is thru a home health agency and the pt I oriented with is ventilator dependant. I about died laughing because a week afer my 4 hrs of training I got a certificate in the mail saying that I had completed a ventilator training program.. So am I correct in saying that I am now vent certified? What a joke! Jody
If the state actually believes that the limited clinical experience in school and NCLEX-PN deems us to be safe practitioners, then God help them. I had two days of learning IV techniques (which consisted of watching a film) and now, I am certified. When I went to the floor, all of the nurses were doing the IV care so differently that I never got the picture...but, I am certified! What a scary world.
i had a month of training in a nursing home setting. some of it was great, some of it was aweful. two days of it i was put on the floor cause they were short. a few of the days i was partnered with a new grad. she had about six months on the job and was orienting me... i wasn't too pleased about that. but i just left it alone and went along with it. she did'nt teach me anything.. just gave me the med cart and said "go to it" she managed the paperwork and that was it.
:roll Funny!! I went to a job interview at a LTC facility and was told "honey, you will either sink or swim, and I do hope that you swim'". The concensus around here is 5 days training. Although some facilities here in Jersey offer up to 2 weeks w/ a preceptor and then you get a review.
Tomarrow I start my FIRST job.. as a GPN on a LTC floor. I am getting a months orientation.. so the nursing director says. I sure hope so because all I learned in PN school was how to take a BP and pass meds. :uhoh21:
I have just started my first job and I am getting 3 days of orientation, 1 day of days and 2 days of evening orientation. I find this a bit short and it worries me. The worst part is that on evenings, we have to pass medications for 52 people. I hope I survive this place.
Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.
It is an absolute disgrace to both, the nurse as well as the patients to send a new grad out after a week's orientation and say "Go for it". Makes me scared of LTC and makes me want to go into home care (which, from what I have seen is not much better with orienting people).
Well I agree a week is too short there is so much paperwork in LTC and before you know it you can get really far behind. 1 incident of a resident hitting another can take 1 hour of your time in paperwork and assessing the resident and notifying family and supervisor. I recieved 6 weeks orientation and more if I need it. This facility I seeked out becauses I figured if I was to work in LTC I would like to work somewhere that helped a new grad with support and not just turning you loose. The ratio there is 40 residents to 1 nurse, so you have to figure out how to go from caring for 2 pts like in school to caring for 40.
Good luck and be sure to ask lots of questions remember you worked very hard for your license and will work just as hard to keep it!
If you don't know how to do something or are not comfortable ask for help. I only got a few days training and was put on the floor by myself and I mean that I am the only licensed professional in the building after 4 pm. I called my supervisor 15 times a day for the first month. But now I can pass meds to 52 residents in about 2 1/2 hours and keep track of what has to be reordered, dc'd, and make changes to the mars as needed. The one thing I can't live with out is a notepad, I write everything on it.
I have only been at this place for 2 months and am finding that I can take one look at a mar or a chart and say hey this is wrong. Then i start calling or faxing till it's fixed. But to be honest I think I was stuck ina permanent panic attack for about a month. Now if things are calm at work I get bored. Jody
pagandeva2000, LPN
7,984 Posts
If the state actually believes that the limited clinical experience in school and NCLEX-PN deems us to be safe practitioners, then God help them. I had two days of learning IV techniques (which consisted of watching a film) and now, I am certified. When I went to the floor, all of the nurses were doing the IV care so differently that I never got the picture...but, I am certified! What a scary world.