Training/Orientation

I shadowed a nurse in the home for two days and then did total patient care with the nurse there to observe me. If they felt I was ready and I was comfortable with it then I could start working with that specific patient solo. Thankfully for me my first patient had just about everything that I could possibly be exposed to in other homes so that was the only orientation I received.

The agency I work for promised "2 weeks" of orientation. It consisted of "shadowing" 2 or 3 nurses on visits; of course, they were too busy driving/visiting Pt.'s to formally lay out what is entailed in a SOC to discharge process. On-line "videos" of the OASIS process. One day pouring over hardcopy charts that physically appear NOTHING like the software used to document. 20 minutes of informal instruction by a harried nurse on how to use the software. Day 8: SOC with OASIS on a Pt. whose family had unrealistic expectations as to what HHC was and could provide; complaint by family over length of OASIS evaluation and refused further nursing. "Counseling" AFTER documentation mistakes are made, claiming, "This is how we educate you," i.e., let me totally mess up the documentation and database, then spend COUNTLESS hours (on my own time, of course) fixing it.

I have just had one interview with one company but I was told that I will have (if hired) 6-8 weeks of orientation. I can not say for sure that it will play out that way but this seems like a very respectable and well organized company and I believe that unless some kind of special circumstance happens I will have that long to orient. I think it will be with the same preceptor the entire time also. Not sure if that helps but I will let you know for sure if I get hired and go through the orientation period.