LTC Orientation

[jat_phil]

Hellow fellow nurses.I am just wondering how many days is the usual orientation time in LTC. I am a foreign nurse and just recently passed NCLEX-RN and I am to start a job in LTC facility once I arrive in US in June. I have been reading all the posts here in LTC to give me ideas and from some posts I read here gives me PALPITATIONs!! It is frequently mentioned the number of patients and short staffing and many more. Being a foreign nurse I know, I know there will be plenty of adjustments and it frightens me somehow to be expected to work independently as RN once I arrive. Any tips and suggestions from you guys is appreciated. Thanks!!

[Abbies]

It depends on the facility. If you need more time, ask for it. The sponsoring facility has made an investment in you, and it is in their best interest for you to suceed. I worked with nurses from Korea in Maine. Both had some language challenges in addition to adjusting to the work in LTC. We all pitched in to help. You'll be OK. Welcome!!!

Indigo girl is right. Keep the facility informed about how you are doing and ask for more time if you need it.

You will do fine!

[nurse_wannabe]

As a brand new nurse, I was given 3 nights.

Since I started at my facility, I have seen nurses come in with absolutely no orientation.

Kind of scary, isn't it?

[weirdRN, RN]

Yes I have a hospital experience here in my country but what I am concerned is that our set up here is diffirent from USA, in terms of technology we are far behind as what other nurses told me who are now working in US, aside from that we have to adjust to the language so I am preparing for all that in case I will just be given a couple of days orientation. By reading some of the posts here in allnurses helps me understand how nurses works there.

Welcome to LTC. I got three weeks of orientation. I am going to ask for a re-orientation b/c I have only worked PRN the last couple of months, and I have not done some of the paperwork for a while and some policies have changed.

I promise you these things: You will go home tired. You will have more residents to assess and pass meds to and give treatments to than you have time. You will not have adequate time to connect and do the kind of nursing you want to do if you are a sincere, kind hearted and loving person. Your heart will break everyday, and everyday, you will find something to smile about.

I know I have not painted a very nice picture. It is very bittersweet. But I wouldn't trade any of the times I have had with the residents for a million dollars.

[NurseyTee]

I had never worked in LTC before and when I started I was shown where my cart was and sent on my way. I didn't have orientation if you ask me. Now they are expecting me to do things I've never been shown how to do. Like admissions on the computer. I've never, ever done an admission anywhere I've worked before, not even once. So I have no clue, but are they willing to help me learn it???? NO!! My DON just said it was unacceptable that I didn't know how and to just do it. I have no idea how to handle this situation either.

[Elektra6, ASN, BSN, RN]

As a new grad, I received 5 weeks orientation in LTC. Ask for as much as you can, you can always say you're ready before its over.

[luvmy2angels]

I will be starting orientation next Thurs. at a LTC facility and they will give me a total of 2 weeks, but the DON said I can have more if I don't feel comfortable being on my own.

[jat_phil]

As a brand new nurse, I was given 3 nights.

Since I started at my facility, I have seen nurses come in with absolutely no orientation.

Kind of scary, isn't it?

nurse_wannabe, you said it right!! it is scary!!! how do these nurses cope up without orientation?! How can the facility expect someone to function as RN independently when they just started working their and still don't know how things are done there? Just wondering for I might be in that kind of situation in the coming days.

[jat_phil]

I had never worked in LTC before and when I started I was shown where my cart was and sent on my way. I didn't have orientation if you ask me. Now they are expecting me to do things I've never been shown how to do. Like admissions on the computer. I've never, ever done an admission anywhere I've worked before, not even once. So I have no clue, but are they willing to help me learn it???? NO!! My DON just said it was unacceptable that I didn't know how and to just do it. I have no idea how to handle this situation either.

I just can't imagine how you survive your first day without them telling and showing you how things are done there!! What did you do when the DON tell you to just do it? are the other health team members helped you?

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

As a new grad, I received 5 weeks orientation in LTC. Ask for as much as you can, you can always say you're ready before its over.

As a new grad, I received only 1 day of orientation before I was cut loose to work on my own. You are one of the lucky few. The average orientation time seems to be 3 days.