Mandatory 6 mo-1y. intership+NCLEX for GN to get license?

Antikigirl, ASN, RN · May 23, 2006

If it is done in the facility that I have chosen to be in for a while sure! However, my first choice didn't work...and if I had a mandatory stay...I would have quit nursing all together just to get out of working there!

I like doing internships for the particular facility I wish to work for...that way I not only learn my nursing role, but know their facility, their protocols, and the way they do things! But, I can not guarentee as a new grad that I would enjoy working mandatory when it is finally my time to spread my wings and try different things! Some of us just don't like their first or next jobs and have to keep trying...if I was STUCK there or stuck in an internship...I would proably have a powerless, hopeless and down right depressed outlook for a full 6 months to a year..not a great start!

I did just fine without internship...if I didn't I would have been fired in a heartbeat...I think that is training enough..REAL WORLD training!

But that is just me

MissJoRN, RN · May 23, 2006

Honestly, I've thought this would a good plan since I graduated. When I graduated there weren't even "optional" nurse externships. Well, actually I think the mega hospital did offer one for ICU only. Now, more and more are out there but they still seem to be aimed at high tech areas. Why not med-surg?? More and more nurses are graduated with less and less clinical competence. I'm not bashing new grads or nursing schools. The fact is every year there is more knowledge and theory needed to graduate and that takes away from clinical skills (more of them, too!). Because the theory is, anyone can be taught clinical skills on the job, theory, etc must be learned in school.

So all that, and what kind of job does a new grad get? Night shift? Evenings? Think about it:

A day shift might have 4 RNs on floor X, who have "earned" that spot due to seniority. Each day RN has an average of 10 years experience. Besides, if they still are uncertain, they have all the other disciplines there as resources- MDs, Resp Ther, Dietician, Pharmacists, Case managers. Bigger hospitals have these specialists assigned to floors during day hours, smaller hospitals just have them available to call.

Same floor at night might only have 3 RNs, with an average of 5 years experience they have to wake up MDs (scarey sometimes) page Resp, forget about dietary questions when you have a tube feeder, maybe the hospital has a 24 hr Pharm, maybe not, etc.

I think an internship would create a safer environment for patients, happier, more confident new grads, happier, less bitter veteran staff, a higher standard of care and evidence based knowledge across the generations of nurses and across the interdisciplinary team, a stronger sense of teamwork between shifts, maybe save a few licenses, and probably more benefits if I thought harder. Cons?? It would be expensive for the employer... I assume the GN wants to be paid for those 6-12 mos?? But orienting new nurses who often quit before the end of their first 6 mos or year and then orienting a replacement, etc, etc, is expensive, too!!

(warning!! personal story here for those who get bored!!)

When I was a new grad I had 6 weeks orientation. Before my 6 month eval I had been the ONLY RN on my floor several times. My usual co-workers, if I had another nurse to work with, were either "Abby" with 8 years peds experience, "Betty" with 2 years peds 4 years medsurg, or "Cathy" who started a mnth before me. Thank the whole universe that "Abby" happened to be working the first two times I had kids in severe resp distress because that's when I learned that even when you page everyone you're supposed to it turns out the residents, house super, and new grad resp therapist all want to avoid sick kids and try to say "oh, he's fine, I've seen worse" and run off the floor! Think I got much support from the confident day nurses (remember them, my original "preceptors"??) They think the night nurses are "incompetent" when we're upset at the end of our shift. Well, I'd be confident too if I had 20 years peds experience and my co-worker had 25 and I knew the Dr was going to be on the floor all day and the day resp therapist was very comfortable with emergencies!!

Often I think "Cathy" and I are lucky we still have our licenses. I didn't hate that floor when I got comfortable, and believe me, I did learn very quickly!! but I never encouraged new nurses to consider working there when we had openings! I told my NAs who were in nursing school- look how dangerous this is, look how stupid I was. Sometimes you don't know what you don't know!! Don't take a job like this!

hrtprncss · May 23, 2006

It might be a good idea, but like the other poster said it won't be cost effective. If you grant a GN a one year internship, then in order for the hospital to agree with this and make it beneficial for them, it would mean that the hospitals would have to require the new GN's to stay and work for that hospital for a given time. Sort of like a contract. I don't think hospitals would gamble on a year internship/training without making sure that they would get time put in by the GN afterwards. If that's instituted, then the GN would be forced to stay at a given place for maybe the first two years at least, what then if the nurse doesn't like the place? I think this would be met by opposition from both groups, nurses and administration.

Just a thought.

sunnyjohn · May 23, 2006

Thanks for the replies.