med/surg travel nursing - little to no unit orientation?

KatieBell · Mar 1, 2008

Hello again, got another question...I just started a med/surg travel nursing job and so far it is going very well...the unit I'm on gave me 3 days of orientation with a preceptor before I went on my own, which I feel was enough. However I've heard that this is unusual for med/surg traveling, that they usually give you practically no orientation on the unit except maybe a quick overview of computers and charting, and that kind of scares me...if I'd been completely on my own from the very start I think I would have been very overwhelmed and possibly missed something important. I don't know if this is also the case with more specialized areas such as ICU or L&D, etc. Because of this I'm thinking about just renewing this contract for awhile and then getting out of travel nursing or finding a different specialty...since I'm not crazy about med-surg anyway.

3 days of orientation is highly unusual. I work Emergency and I usually get about 4 hours. At Level One Trauma Centers,I might get 2 days working witha nurse, but usually after about 6 hours the nurse just sort of drifts off. The way I have solved this is to just ask questions. It is usually about forms or where is the XYZ located...but yes, intraveling, even in ICU or L and D or ER, the point is for you to be able to walk in and function. Good Luck!

kdblueey · Mar 1, 2008

I am at Northwest Texas Hospital in Amarillo, Texas, and received three days. I think that might be because they have FIVE med/surg units. Since this is my second travel assignment, not sure if this is normal or not. I think it depends on who hired you, and the facility. But remember----if your a traveler, you are EXPECTED to jump right in, with little or no orientation. I NEVER hesitate to ask questions, no matter how long I've been there. And I know what you mean about not liking med/surg. It SUCKS, and is a very hard specialty. People are more ill than they used to be.

Kathy (right now in the panhandle - for three more weeks :yeah: )

ERRNTraveler, RN · Mar 2, 2008

3 days is actually kind of long for traveler orientation. I have never gotten more than 2 days- but usually, it's just one shift.....

nurseynurse09 · Jan 24, 2009

I had never gotten more than 2-3 shifts until my current position, where they gave us ONE WEEK of talking at us, singing the praises of the facility, searching for an empty room to place us, and explaining decub staging, phone etiquette- all the things a nurse knows anyway! We did not see a unit in this palce until the last day, no tour of the place. We finally get on the floor, never having received important info like, the paging system, scheduling, important phone numbers. Ridiculous! then when you ask questions, the staff look at you funny like I thought you guys got a whole week of orientation? the facility is totally disorganized, understaffed and all we keep hearing from the managers is that they hired way too many of us, we are not needed, etc.

julzhere · Jan 28, 2009

Huh. Sounds familar. You wouldn't be in Englewood CA would you? :banghead:

wanderlust99 · Jan 29, 2009

I wouldn't go to a place that doesn't give me a proper orientation...at least 2 days. I work in an icu so may be different.

Most places I hear about give you a 2 day orientation.

I'm sorry for the ED worker who only had 4 hrs, how unfortunate.

jentrump29 · Jan 29, 2009

Three days?? That's awesome!! I just started a med/surg assignment. I got a few hours in HR taking an open book orientation test and listening to a code of conduct lecture. Then I worked with a nurse on the floor for 6 hours. I was supposed to be learning the computer system with her, but she had 6 patients. She barely had time to get the the computer! The next shift, I was totally on my own...it was horrible!

I have also heard that most places give you not only computer training before you get to the floor, but also 2 full days of orientation.

eriksoln, BSN, RN · Feb 4, 2009

Actually, I ask about this in interviews. I let it be known I want 2 full days with another nurse of orientation. If their "policy doesnt allow that" then "my policy is not to take the job, thanks".

I've seen people shown where their locker is, given a password to the computer and told what their assignment is. Then, a week later the DON is wondering why all your paperwork is so choppy. I dont do that.

My attitude is, the expectations of me are to perform every bit as well as a staff nurse who has been there for 15 years. Its not like the managers say "oh, we didnt orient them well, thats why this and that form arent done." They blame you. So, in order to comply with these expectations, I need two days orienting. After that, I can do what I need to do.

Only had one manager say she didnt like it, but it was put into my contract that it was mandatory........2 days orientation. I got it. That was the end of that. She could have just not hired me, but obviously it wasnt a sticking point with her.

jentrump29 · Feb 5, 2009

Good thinking! I'll remember that if there's ever a next time! :nuke: It's amazing how many things you need to make sure are in the contract so that you don't get treated like crap! This has been such a learning experience!

thnkr917 · May 28, 2011

I have gotten as little as 4 hours and as much as one week. I think 2 days is plenty for me. I need one day to review policies and computer and one day to follow a nurse on whatever shift I will be working and I am done. First of all, I always err on the side of caution. For instance if a blood transfusion policy for vitals is "prior, at 15 minutes and at completion" but most places I have gone is every hour for vitals then I do every hour in addition. It's time consuming but it covers my butt. Generally, if you do that, it saves you.

I usually feel a lot more comfortable and organized in a facility when I get a better orientation. Also, it, hopefully, gives you a chance to bond a little with your preceptor so you have one go to person on the floor. I got 4 hours orientation at the facility that I'm at now.

Traveling can put in the middle of some messy units with bad habits, but if you have a good strong background just practice the good methods you learned.

This short orientation thing is why I tell potential travelers to at least have 2 years of experience before traveling. It's not that you don't know what to do sooner, it's that you need the confidence to hit the ground running and be able to just practice the way you know you are supposed to, despite how badly the other staff is practicing or how little handholding you got.

In short, 2-3 days is ideal but get it in your contract if you can't handle less, because they will try it.