new grad

[brody]

I am a new graduate...who will be sitting for my boards in June. I am very excited but a little confused on what direction I should go once I become an RN. I have been offered a job in the ER and on a Med-Surg floor....The orientation/training is very good for the ER position and I was wondering if I went that route would it be ok...any thoughts? :)

[Luv2BAnurse]

There are occasional new grads that work the ED in my hospital. They like it, and felt that the orientation was adequate. I would not have been comfortable working in ED as a new grad, but hey...that's me. As long as an acceptable orientation is granted, and possibly longer if you feel you need it, there should be no problem, if that is what you want.

Good Luck.

[RayneFrog]

How long of an orientation would you consider to be adequate for a unit such as the ED or ICU?

There are occasional new grads that work the ED in my hospital. They like it, and felt that the orientation was adequate. I would not have been comfortable working in ED as a new grad, but hey...that's me. As long as an acceptable orientation is granted, and possibly longer if you feel you need it, there should be no problem, if that is what you want.

Good Luck.

[brody]

How long of an orientation would you consider to be adequate for a unit such as the ED or ICU?

The orientation that they offer is 6-9months which I think is a great orientation. What do you think? Do you work in those areas now as a n RN? If so how long was your training?

[Mijourney]

Oh my, 6-9 months orientation. That is great! Make them put it in writing for you if you decide to go that route. Ions ago, I got maybe 6-8 weeks in ICU. That included the critical care course. I already had some experience in med-surg. I think that starting out in ER is a little scary, but exciting. However, I'm from the old school where starting out in med-surg gave you your foundation for everything. Then from there, you spread your wings out into other areas. You'll have to decide if ER can become overwhelming for you. Of course, if you're going to get 6-9 months of orientation, wow!

[RayneFrog]

Mij,

What did you think of getting only 6-8 weeks orientation in ICU? Were you ready to be on your own after that time?

Oh my, 6-9 months orientation. That is great! Make them put it in writing for you if you decide to go that route. Ions ago, I got maybe 6-8 weeks in ICU. That included the critical care course. I already had some experience in med-surg. I think that starting out in ER is a little scary, but exciting. However, I'm from the old school where starting out in med-surg gave you your foundation for everything. Then from there, you spread your wings out into other areas. You'll have to decide if ER can become overwhelming for you. Of course, if you're going to get 6-9 months of orientation, wow!

[Mijourney]

I graduated from a diploma program and had a little med-surg under my belt, so I felt fairly ready for the challenge of an ICU. Generally, most employers felt that three months was enough time to see whether a new grad was going to be able to make it on any given unit.

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

If the orientation is adequate then go for the ER is that's what you want. Our ER has a great program for new grads and seems to work well.

Good luck to you.