what is orientation all about for first days nurses?

[Bunny22]

im applying for nursing school for january and am absolutly clueless as to what to expect. ive heard that once your a nurse you go through orientation. is it a period where your learning the "ways" with an experienced buddy? are you fully responsable for your patients? are you considered a rookie or a welcomed teammate. how about the overall experience, any funny stories?

[Fiona59]

You work alongside an experienced nurse. You learn the routines of the units, where the staff room is, where the dressings, etc is kept., med room protocol, kind of get a quick look at the unit politics.

Had four days in total at my last hospital, 3 days, 1 night. You kind of hit the ground running and are expected to work.

[redwinggirlie]

A good orientation should be at least 6 weeks for a new grad, longer if they decide they more time. You work along with other nurses, your preceptor, and learn all there is to know about the unit, the policies, the care you are giving your patients.... everything. Be well!

[Gompers, BSN, RN]

Well, your entire nursing school experience will help you learn the basics of nursing. Once you start working at a hospital after graduation, you'll get some kind of hospital orientation plus another orientation on your unit. Depending on where you work and what kind of unit it is...the orientation time will vary. Usually it's at least a couple of weeks, if not a couple of months for new grads. But then again, you'll find lots of places that only give you a few days and then you're on your own. It really depends on what kind of hospital and unit you're working on. In a nursing home, it might just be a few days. In a hospital critical care unit, it could be several months.