Only 1 month of orientation !!

It is 90 days anywhere in our system. That 90 days can be extended if needed.

Our ER only does 10 shifts for anyone new grad or not!

6 months for new grads.

They wanted to cut me short since I'm a paramedic, but I insisted on the full opportunity to learn without pressure. There was a med-surg nurse who started with me. Her orientation may have been shorter. We all had several weeks of classroom work before we dove into the mess.

Times sure have changed. My first day in ER I was shown the chart and shown the ER layout. Told to work and ask questions. At the end of the first day, they asked if I killed anyone. replied no I hadn't. That was my orientation. Times have certainly changed. I am amused by how everything changes.

"Only" a month? The only job where I spent more than a WEEK in training was my current job at a plasma center, where you have to do every task in the view of a trainer x number of times and jump through all kinds of hoops. In regular jobs, three days, tops, and you were on your own.

Yep, my first ER job I was supposed to get 3 shifts, but my preceptor went into labor half way through the first shift so I was thrown to the wolves. Made me learn quick though! Things sure have changed!

It may not be best practice as far as patient safety, but these days a month would be considered incredibly generous. Sad to say

at my community hospital its 6 months for new grads and 3 months otherwise. I also transfered from med/surg and was glad for all 3 of those months, even though I had days when I wanted to be off orientation cause I thought I was bored, there were always days I needed that preceptor.

I don't think I would want to start in an ER with no previous ER experience with less than 3 months personally.

At my new ER job I got 6 shifts. 3 on days and 3 on nights. by 2nd shift I was basically on my own only finding my mentor if I couldnt find something or was stumbling through the computer.

My 1st job out of school in an ICU I got 4 weeks. 2 weeks on days and 2 on nights...but my orientation was more along the lines of "hollar if you need anything"

I see that our new employees are very lucky! I'm in a Level 1 Trauma center and we hire one new grad each year. She/he gets a minimum of three months orientation--longer if needed. Experienced nurses who have never worked in an ER get about a month but they are never "kicked out" if they don't feel competent. Nurses who have worked other ER's get a couple of weeks unless their skills are way below par.

Boy was I scared when I was left "alone" that first day:( but I made it!

I wonder if the increasing times of orientation are due to liability costs or to high turn-over these days (or both). HHhhmmm.

Scrappy

:prdmltywf:

:prdnrs:

When I was a new grad, I started on a med/surg floor and I was supposed to have 6 weeks of orientation, but the floor was so short-staffed, that I only had 4 weeks. I had worked on that floor as a CNA for about 8 months before I became an RN so I felt somewhat comfortable. And my preceptor gave me the choice of taking 1-2 patients to start out and adding 1 a day or just taking the entire team (about 5 pts) from the start. I chose to take the entire team so if/when I got overwhelmed, I would have someone right there with me. Some of the more senior RN's didn't like this idea, but it worked out for me!!

for my unit 2 weeks!