Poll: How long is your orientation?

[jessi1106, BSN, RN]

Hi,

I started working as a GN last week. I had 5 full days of central nurse orientation (covered benefits, union, computer system, infection control, blood product administration, incident reporting, hospital proceedures, etc) . This week it is 3 days of med-surge orientation. Next, 5 weeks of unit orientation with a preceptor.

I am hoping that this will adequately prepare me.

Just wondering if this is the hospital standard?

[Christie RN2006]

I am an RN working in surgical intensive care... my orientation was about 4 months total.

[nurserynurse55]

I am in NICU and stepdown NICU in a large hospital that focuses only on high risk OB/GYN and adult ICU. I know, this is a very different hospital. My orientation is 6 months, but I feel like they expect a lot very quickly( only two weeks in).

Good Luck!

[NursingAgainstdaOdds]

I just started as a GN as well. I had a week-long classroom orientation, followed by what will (allegedly) be 6 weeks of preceptorship on my Med-Surg floor.

[jllsnpccc]

I am starting work in a Neuro/Trauma/Surgical ICU and the standard is 5-6 months orientation. Most of our 1st 2 weeks are just hospital and computer system orientation, with some misc. time on the unit, then climb on and go for a ride. I am looking forward to it.

[KckStrt]

Just started last Thr on med/surg, 90 day orientation... From what I have seen with other new nurses, they stick to it at 90 days.

[ICU_nurse]

I began my new graduate program at the beginning of this year. Orientation was 5 days- 4 days doing fire safety, security, nursing assessment.... whole lot of stuff. The final days was a supernumary day at our first ward rotation. We have 5 rotations, and you get 2(give or take) days supernumary when you begin.

Have just commenced a rotation in ICU- orientation was 1 day critical care focused (Advanced life support, brief equipment overview, unit tour etc...), 2 days supernumary with a preceptor, and then we get 3 weeks rostered on the same shifts as our preceptor.

it's sorta been good in theory, but wasnt what I was expecting... spose i thought there would have been more clinical type stuff. Although i guess they expect that I wouldnt need any due to studying for the previous 3 years :)

parko

[S.T.A.C.E.Y, LPN]

I'm working in a large-busy ER I have around 7 months of orientation. Four months of preceptorship with general hospital orientation for the first week or so, then classroom stuff randomly thrown into the first four months. Then they're sending me back to school for a semester to specialize in emergency nursing and learn all the stuff I'll need to know to be on my own. Then 'cause I'll have been out of the ER while I was in school, they said I'll likely be precepted again for another couple of weeks before I'm on my own. How awesome is that!?! I'm SOOO psyched! Orientation probably would have been shorter if the college program was offerred more frequently. Sweeeeeeeeet Deal for me!

[Chaoticdreams33, MSN, RN]

This year the hospital I just started at is doing something different. They are giving all the med-surg GN's the full amount of classes that they used to only give the critical care GN's except for 3 days which cover vents and a-lines and such. They are also doing a med-surg rotating group which I am in. We are able to rotate to 3 different floors for 6 weeks each. Our orientation is technically 6 months long, and we go back to a few classes in Sept for leadership, delegation, and med safety.

[lizziebeth157]

I'm just started a critical care residency program that has 1 week of general hospital, human resources and nursing policy orientation, and then 3-4 months of classroom training and preceptorship.

[SteveNNP, MSN, NP]

My first job had 8 weeks of unit orientation after a week of hospital orientation. 6 weeks on days, 2 weeks on nights. Never had to break orientation to take an assignment....came close, though! (BTW, make sure they don't do this to you new nurses!) My new job involves 2 weeks of hospital orientation, 2 weeks critical care classes, then 12 weeks of unit orientation....quite thorough, if you ask me, and this is after I've had a few years experience! They usually cut it short if they know you've been a nurse for a while....

[MrsMommaRN]

hello, i haven't started yet, but will on july 23. my orientation will consist if 1 week classrom, 3 weeks on day shift and 3 weeks on nights which is where i will be. i believe it sounds fair and from what i was told by the nursing manager they will build me up to help me to be able to manage my 5 patient load plus cover lpns.