Orientation at LTC/Subacute Rehab facility

[IlovemycareerRN]

Hello everyone,

I am new to LTC but I have many years of experience dealing with the geriatric population. I recently interviewed for a staff RN position at Subacute Rehab. I was wondering how is the orientation process in longterm care? The interviewer didn't give me a direct answer when I asked. She only mentioned one week would be spent in the classroom. I would appreciate it if someone could give me details of what goes on during orientation. Is one week spent in the classroom, then the remainder on the floor five days a week?? Any help will be appreciated. Thank you in advance.

[Jaimie.RN]

Mine as a brand new grad, was 6 shifts, then I was dumped alone and said "no more orientation is in the budget" and when you mess up things (like pointless paperwork on signing out pulse ox or something) they write you up, even though you're only guessing since no one trained you on most things. Just my experience though. Hope you get a better orientation. There was ZERO classroom stuff for me, just following another nurse struggling under too heavy of a workload.

[IlovemycareerRN]

Wow, I hope that isn't the case for me. I was told if I am hired their would be classroom orientation. Not much else was specified which made me weary of how they run things. Were you oriented on different shifts or just the one you were hired for?

[CapeCodMermaid, RN]

We have two days of general orientation. Licensed nurses then have two more days in the classroom with the staff development coordinator. Then it's on to the nursing units. New grads get a minimum of four weeks with a preceptor...more if they need it. I don't want to spend all sorts of money hiring and training someone only to have them leave because they feel like they were thrown in without any help.

[Jaimie.RN]

I wish I had a manager that got it, like you seem to. I just want a fair shake at training, but NO BUDGET BUDGET CUTS BUDGET.

[NurseLoveJoy88, ASN, RN]

I'm currently on orentation. Got 1.5 classroom and 3 days floor orienation and out the 3 days on the floor, only two days on my shift.

[Kittypower123, BSN, RN]

We have two days of general orientation. Licensed nurses then have two more days in the classroom with the staff development coordinator. Then it's on to the nursing units. New grads get a minimum of four weeks with a preceptor...more if they need it. I don't want to spend all sorts of money hiring and training someone only to have them leave because they feel like they were thrown in without any help.

You need to move down to Texas so I can work for you. The attitude hear seems to be that nurses will come and go quickly so don't worry about spending any money or time with orientation, just squeeze every drop out of them until they quit.

[CapeCodMermaid, RN]

Kitty power, I am too much of a Yankee to ever move to Texas.

[anjoba]

I am still in orientation and started Jan. 5th. So far, I've had three days of classroom and three days on the floor w/ a preceptor. I'm a newly licensed nurse so the staffing coordinator said she wouldn't put me on the floor on my own until she AND I feel like I am comfortable and ready. I really appreciate it too because it's not the passing of meds that has me worried; it's the the admissions, physician reports and procedures, and documenting on computer and paper that has me confused still. Instead of passing meds with the other nurse, I really want to be able to just sit down behind the nurse's station and look at what goes on. Hopefully, I can do that this week.

[AngRN6726]

I agree with you there Anjoba, I got one day of classroom, one day orientation in the day then 3 more days of orientation for my shift 11-7, but like you the med pass doesn't really have me that worried. Its all this paperwork, so crazy! Duplicate and Triplicate charting, remembering what goes where, making the shift schedule, alert charting, computer charting...they show you soo fast and they don't have time to take the time to show you properly, will that was how my first day orientation went yesterday. And this place is SNF/LTC's but they sure are busy! busy! busy!

[kmarie724]

When I started as a new grad, I had one day of classroom training with the staff development nurse. There is also one day of a general orientation for all new hires, but I had been working at the facility already as a CNA, so I didn't have to do that again. I trained in on all three shift (nocs, days, and eves) and I had worked 5 days with a preceptor on each shift. I also worked 2 shifts with the evening shift supervisor to learn how to do assessments and paperwork for a new admit/hospital return. When she is there she does the admit stuff, but floor nurses need to know how to do it in case there is an admit when she is not working. From what I've seen/heard about other LTC facilities, it seems like I am lucky that I got quite a bit of orientation. I don't know if people who have worked as a nurse before get quite as much orientation, but it is always 2-3 weeks before they are on their own.

[catlvr]

At my first facility, we had a fabulous orientation, complete with IV cert, wound care, and assessments. I didn't realize how good it was until I moved and oriented at a new facility - three days of "rah rah, we're such a great company", and then follow a nurse for three days. After finding three med errors (all pretty significant), observing that the staff "didn't have time for that stuff" (wearing gloves for injections and wound care- ugh!), and learning that the recruiter had not been honest with me about my schedule, I handed in my resignation. I learned a lot from that week of orientation, but I suspect that none of the education was intentional on their part.

Hope that yours is better, and please don't hesitate to ask them for more time if you need it.