New Grad 5 days orientation

cupcakeluver · Oct 8, 2015

I'm just a student....set to graduate in May. I don't have any advice to offer.

To the OP...please come back and update about how things turned out. I wish you the best of luck and hope things work out for you.

To the other posters....thanks so much for all your comments and advice. It's helpful to get an idea of how things work. I've gleaned a lot of useful information for when I'm starting that first elusive job.

I just wanted to say thanks and I appreciate the comments.

SleeepyRN · Oct 8, 2015

Thank You for your response. I dont need to be taught how to be a nurse, however this particular facility has 310 beds. It is quiet large, and I am assuming they have many different policies in place that in my opinion might be challenging to grasp in less than a week. Also, I have not had more than 4 patients under my care at a time, and I am scared I might get a lot of patients and will run out of time to provide them with necessary care as I have read that many LTC facilities give 20-50 patients per nurse.
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The toughest challenge for me was learning who the residents were. When I had 25-30 residents heading to the dining room, or just hanging around, I had to ask another employee who is Mrs. Jones...Mr. Anderson...Slowed me down BIG time. Then after a few days, when I knew who was who, they would switch me to another unit with 25-30 more new faces. If it was the dementia unit, it was 40 residents. I hated that SO much. I LOVE LOVE LOVE having my patients in their rooms now that I'm working sub-acute rehab. It's set up like a hospital. No chaos of a dining hall with 60 faces you don't know on each floor. But, hang in there, and you learn. Some nursing homes are worth sticking it out. Some are not. I left 2 nursing homes immediately knowing I dodged a bullet.

One place, it was my first day off my 5 day orientation. I was put on a unit I had not yet had. I didn't know the residents AT all. A couple days later, I'm being written up for a resident who apparently went 5 days without having had a dressing change on her foot. It was never reported to me that she even had a dressing. It didn't pop up for me in the TAR. Ummm....this is a nursing home. We don't do head to toe assessments on every resident for me to have seen a dressing.

5 days. I was the 5th day. The last shift. That's 15 shifts that missed this. And they were trying to write ME up. I high tailed it out of there and proceded to witness classmate after classmate go through that revolving door of a place.

sharkbacon · Oct 8, 2015

Ah, LTC. When I started, I was a new grad, and had three days orientation, then was let loose with 36 residents and two aides. It was horrifying and I felt absolutely thrown to the wolves.

I knew how to be a nurse, but I didn't understand the paperwork, I didn't know the residents, I didn't know where anything was, it was an absolute nightmare.

So, it's totally normal for LTC to give you a short orientation. Is it right? I would say no. I felt unsafe and was there probably three hours overtime every single night trying to figure it all out.

Postpartum RN · Oct 8, 2015

When I started in a snf, on my second day of orientation my nurse got a call from her sons school during the middle of morning med pass (and it was already about 10 am or so), and she took off. The DON came to me and asked if I could finish the med pass and the noon med pass atleast, and nothing else was expected of me that day because she knows I am just barely in orientation.

Oh my goodness I was still doing med pass when the pm shift came on the floor at 2:30 or so...it was so stressful for me to be thrown in like that! Thankfully the pm nurse was awesome and provided me with some comfort and advice and was supportive...it's crazy..so yes snfs do have a very short orientation..they don't want to spend a dollar more than they have to.

Deepinthegame · Oct 9, 2015

Well , in my day orientation would go like this

Day One : Following a nurse

Day Two : The nurse I just followed the day before calls in sick. Now , I am on my own and staff tells me if I need any help just ask.

Advice : Take care of the pts whose family members raise the most Hell -just ask your CNAs for the lay of the land. Then , just survive .

indygirl526, ASN, RN · Oct 9, 2015

I start at a LTC facility tomorrow, I am a new grad as well. I am PRN so I will orientate to charge, med and treatment nurse positions. I also will work on TCU and LTC sides. They said I can orientate for as long as I need but usually 4-5 days per position is enough. I am very nervous. It was a nice surprise to be reminded at the main orientation of all the work the CNA's do, because as you know as students we had to do it all! Good luck to you, will watch for updates.

vulupure · Oct 9, 2015

I start at a LTC facility tomorrow, I am a new grad as well. I am PRN so I will orientate to charge, med and treatment nurse positions. I also will work on TCU and LTC sides. They said I can orientate for as long as I need but usually 4-5 days per position is enough. I am very nervous. It was a nice surprise to be reminded at the main orientation of all the work the CNA's do, because as you know as students we had to do it all! Good luck to you, will watch for updates.

Good luck to you as well! Would love to hear how your orientation goes.

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indygirl526, ASN, RN · Feb 2, 2016

Follow up... I only had 3 days of orientation on the floor. They were so shirt staffed I only orientated to one position. And worked that position only to this day. I am prn status. I actually will start a new full job on a palliative care unit at a hospital next week. I did my practicum there and am very excited

Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN · Feb 2, 2016

í ½í¸¥ I am very anxious, as I have heard that nursing home is the easiest way to lose a license... However, I cannot find a job elsewhere, so I am considering taking this position.
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If my state is any indication, the easiest way to lose a license is to abuse vulnerable adults -- sexual and financial are the big ones. Several others have had theirs revoked on narc offenses, like forging Rx's with a provider's stolen DEA number.

Of the ones listed as of 3 weeks ago, not one has lost it for being overworked. :yes: (I had some time to kill, and read the reports.)