New Grad orientation...

DisneyNurseGal, BSN, RN · Jul 16, 2014

I work for the only hospital in my area, it is a 200 bed facility, and I work on a Med Surg/Oncology Unit. My orientation was 3 months long, and I spent 4 weeks floating to all 4 floors, then an interview to get hired to a specific floor. I had two months unit orientation after that. I am now 6 months on my own, night shift and I love it!

bas22 · Jul 16, 2014

I am a December 2013 grad currently working on Med/Surg. I received a six week orientation. Six weeks sounded alright but in reality that is only 18 actual days with a preceptor- 18 days and then this girl was on her own. SCARY! I have been on my own for a couple of months now- I have good days and bad days. Every day is a learning experience.

laKrugRN · Jul 16, 2014

Mine is 2 weeks in the clinic

laKrugRN · Jul 16, 2014

But "Probation period" is like 3 months

SeattleRS24 · Jul 16, 2014

I start a L&D residency this August, and the residency is Versant. It will be roughly 20 weeks long and I will be looped through perinatal, ER, & perioperative. Stoked!

Sparrow91 · Jul 16, 2014

Thanks for all the feed back. I have started my job and will have about 6 weeks of orientation and then I am on my own. Just does not seem like it is enough.

bas22 · Jul 17, 2014

Thanks for all the feed back. I have started my job and will have about 6 weeks of orientation and then I am on my own. Just does not seem like it is enough.

It doesn't seem like it's enough because it’s not! It’s terrifying to think we are trusted and responsible for human lives after that short amount of time. Just make every day of your orientation count. Morph into a sponge and soak up everything you can, ask lots and lots of questions, study on your days off but understand you will not learn everything nor are you expected to in that short six week span. And always, always remember when you are finally on your own you are never truly ‘on your own’- there will always be people there to help you!

SunshineDaisy, ASN, RN · Jul 17, 2014

New grad...first job is at a hospital on a med surge/oncology floor. I got 8 weeks orientation. 5 weeks on days and 3 on nights.

thinwildmercury · Jul 17, 2014

I'm getting eight weeks of part time training. Not sure what that will consist of just yet but I'm worried. I always thought you should get at least 12 weeks. Jealous that some of you got several months!! I know I can always request more time but jobs are so rare, I don't want to give them any reason to let me go. I guess I'll see how it goes.

musingmom · Jul 17, 2014

duplicate post.

GTbravo · Jul 18, 2014

New grad on a burn stepdown. I'm getting 12 weeks of orientation; some weeks on days and some on nights with a 4 days of nurse/hospital/charting orientation. During orientation I get a biweekly stipend afterwards go to full salary with shift diffs

Sand_Dollar, BSN · Jul 19, 2014

Normally it's about 12 weeks in my hospital for the critical care units (8 for adult care). I was hired as a critical care float, so did 11 weeks on my 'home' unit of CVCU and got a week or two on the other critical care units (IMCU, NTCU, ICU). Because I may have to float to general adult care, I got a day or two on all the other floors (ONC, Med-Surg, Ortho, etc), so in total mine was about 16 weeks. I will also get a couple weeks in the ED when it's time for me to float there. These are regular 36 hour weeks at full pay. It was first days, then nights where I will be working.

After orientation, we get a meeting once a month as a group until we have been there a full year. And, for those in critical care, we take the ECCO class (Essentials of Critical Care Orientation) by AACN after we have been there for 6 months. No other classes but those.