Non-New Grad, back in the Hospital Setting

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Hi all,

I wanted to get your opinon on what I need to do to prepare for my new job.

I graduated a year ago from a BSN program.

Started working in a blood center as an apheresis nurse

I am very skilled in apheresis, reaction follow up, vaccinations, assessment, venipuncture, and iv starts.

I just got hired on a medical unit. The nurse manager said that orientation for new grads is 5weeks. She thought I may not need the 5 weeks since I have some experience. (I know I will be making using of that five weeks:)). I will make sure to take all that I can get (but I did not tell her that).

I am a quick learner and I flourish in fast pasted environments.

I am super excited and confident that I will be great at this. I have a great itch to get back to the hospital and use more of my nursing skills. This is what I have wanted for a long time and it is amazing that doors are opening now for me. (it was so hard getting my first job).

So, I want to ask. Do you think 5 weeks is enough for me considering I have been out of the hospital setting for a year? I can still remember most of all I learned in nursing school.

What can I do now to start preparing for my new position? Are there any refresher courses I can study online with modules or should I wait till I start my new job and go from there?

thank you guys so much. Your help is greatly appreciated.

Note: I am surprised how much of my customer service skills helped with the interview. The same goes for when I interviewed for my current position. I never thought my time spent at costco would help me in nursing :), but it really did.

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Start pulling out your books from nursing school and start reviewing. Reviewing a NCLEX book may be helpful too. Ask the manager what conditions they get most frequently and focus on those. Take advantage of all learning opportunities offered. They would probably be open to extending your orientation if you felt behind. Ultimately, they want to see you succeed. Best wishes!

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