Start new job with no orientation

Sour Lemon · Mar 17, 2017

I just finished my first week in a very busy multi doctor clinic. Each doctor has their own clinic within the clinic. The nurse I replaced I got to "train" with her for a couple of hours the first day but that has been it. I've been expected to run this doctor clinic by myself with no orientation nothing. I answer patient calls all day, handle all the labs and tests, make appointments, get insurance approvals, medication refills, teaching on medications, helping the doctor in clinic and helping with procedures. I'm feeling super overwhelmed now and worried. I try to ask my co worker who sits by me for help and she herself is new and head nurse says "well the girl didn't give me much notice so you will have to make it work." I have six years of surgery experience in the hospital but am struggling now. I have never worked a job where No orientation is provided..this is new for me.

I can see how that would feel chaotic, but those sound like tasks with "wiggle room". Even if you screw up, you're not likely to cause anyone serious harm. Assuming you want to keep this job, just do the best that you can and learn as you go.

tyvin, BSN, RN · Mar 17, 2017

I hope your hourly... I hear you. The problem is we need the jobs or else we could show them a lesson and refuse to work until oriented. The supposed banking hours look attractive.

But, there is always someone right behind you to do whatever you will not do. Good luck to you. Ask for an assistant... It's also kind of good in a way. You can create your own system. You need to educate yourself about the EHRs, CMS policy, ICD 10 codes...oh my; I better stop. Anyway is there an informatics person there? Do you know the OS software...whew, good luck to you.

And to answer you question, yes; I have been thrown to the wolves once. Came out of it bruised and battered, but I did survive.

AJ1980 · Mar 18, 2017

Yeah there's no assistance or IT department. Yeah no orientation at all..it's been interesting. I can really honestly say I've never had a job with NO orientation in my entire career.

cleback · Mar 19, 2017

Crazy but as long as you have someone to ask questions of and the docs are understanding... it will be ok?

lindseylpn · Mar 19, 2017

I went thru the exact same thing and it was awful! Plus to make things worse the Dr was brand new too so, she was kind of clueless as well. It was a large network of clinics and the Dr and I traveled between two different offices 30 miles apart. They used different hospital systems and labs etc so, some things were done differently from office to office. I tried to learn everything and seek help when available and thought I was doing pretty decent with no training but, then I started getting "fussed at" for things I didn't even know I was supposed to be doing. For example: at one office the receptionist checked patients in and out on the computer, at the other office the nurse checked the patients out. I was never shown this or even given a log in for the computer. Another example: we used 3 different labs, one office used an on site lab, the other office used a hospital lab and then there was a lab we sent some things off to. The Dr did a few tests and one lab would run them (the on site lab) and one wouldn't (the hospital lab) so, when I worked at the office that used the hospital lab I would send them off. I was then told they didn't want me sending the blood off and implied they wanted me to drive those vials of blood 30 miles to the other lab after work, off the clock. Uh, no. Every time something was brought up that I was doing wrong I mentioned that I'd never actually been trained on anything and I was ensured that other than this one thing that was wrong, I was doing great and they'd send someone to train me. It never happened.

Basically, it was stuff like that over and over. They eventually closed another office and had some long term employees they needed to find spots for so, I was let go before I reached 90 days. I wasn't really given a reason for being fired other than they wanted someone more experienced but, they did tell me to come back and reapply and they'd put me in another position as soon as one came available. Yeah, no thanks lol. I drew unemployment until I found something else. The Dr I had worked for was great, she gave me a wonderful reference. After I left the girl that replaced me didn't last long either, the office manager was fired and the Dr bolted as soon as her contract was up.

It really bothered me at the time because, I've never had a bad review but, now I think I dodged a bullet.

I hope your situation turns out better than mine but, if I were put in that situation again I would RUN!

AJ1980 · Mar 19, 2017

Wow that's crazy. I really go into work having no idea what or how to do my job. I try asking other nurses for help and I think some are very new too and as clueless as I. It's a different specialty and definitely not like the hospital so has been very hard to do trial by fire.