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Discussion

Orientation in the OR

Hi Everyone,

How long is a solid OR orientation for a new grad? I was promised 5 months during interview but given 10 weeks orientation when I started the job, should I be worried?

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    • Admin

    10 weeks, quite frankly, is nowhere near long enough for a new grad. 5 months is on the shorter end of acceptable. What type of facility (trauma/community/etc), what shifts are you working, and what specialties are you responsible for covering? We give our nurses moving into a single specialty team that isn't part of the general OR 12 weeks orientation.

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    • Author

    Trauma 1 Pediatric facility. I am working days but will be required to take calls and work occasional graveyard shifts which is down to only 1 nurse in house. During the 10 weeks, I rotated through General, Urology, Ortho, ENT, Plastics, Neuro, and CV. I was just placed on the Urology/General team. They are taking into consideration my 200 hours of capstone in the OR and previous work experience in an adult OR as a CNA. I still feel super uncomfortable because it's a huge transition from being a CNA to the Nurse role. I am terrified and they say it's normal because it takes 1 year to get used to the OR. I am terrified because I don't feel like my orientation was enough.

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    • Admin

    We barely even consider surgical technologist experience when orienting new grad RNs to the circulator role. You were a student, not a registered nurse during your capstone. CNA is nothing like RN. This just screams red flags to me. Is there staffing issues that they need to get you on your own so fast? The fact that they will be putting you on graveyard shifts with so little experience and no other nurse is extremely concerning as well- we don't allow our new grads to do night shift. Our current night shift team all has a minimum of 20 years of experience each.

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    • Author
    You were a student, not a registered nurse during your capstone. CNA is nothing like RN. This just screams red flags to me. Is there staffing issues that they need to get you on your own so fast? The fact that they will be putting you on graveyard shifts with so little experience and no other nurse is extremely concerning as well- we don't allow our new grads to do night shift.

    Yes, I agree and it screams red flags to me too. There is staffing issues (about 12 nurses quit in the last 3 months) and for budget reasons, they always have only 1 nurse, 2 techs, and one huc at graveyard. I have been considering looking into a solid new grad residency program but I am afraid that I may not qualify or that leaving could hurt me in the future. I brought up my concerns to management many times and they don't take me seriously.

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    I Have been told it was 18 months training.Ten weeks for a new grad,no thanks.

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