What is a new grad program?

I was a nurse manager in a large intercity hospital that had a new grad orientation program. What they did was put all the new hire RNs who were newly graduated from nursing school into a special orientation program designed for them. They still worked on their individual units four days a week, but one day, Friday, was spent with the nursing educators going over policies and reviewing procedures as well as discussing any problems they might be having making their transition from school to employee. Each orientee had a preceptor who was responsible for evaluating the orientee's clinical performance and progression.

Getting into one of these kinds of programs is a nicer way to ease into your new role as an RN. It's kind of like putting you on a bike with training wheels until you're ready to have them come off. It also assures the hospital that you will stay employed with them. Orienting new grads is not much different from growing a flower from a seed. You can take the seedling, love it, keep it free of weeds, keep it fed and protected (nurture it) and bring it along to full bloom. Then, there are those who plant seeds and let them fight the elements on their own. Now, if you were a seed, which would you prefer? That's the kind of employer you want to look for as you go looking for your first job.

I suggest that if you are going to look for employment in the same geographical area where you are going to nursing school that you start talking to some of the staff nurses you come into contact with at your clinical sites. Ask about the new grad orientation program the hospital has. Ask if they know about any other hospitals in the area. What hospital is good to work for? Who treats their employees well? Who doesn't? Also, take advantage of attending any nursing job fairs going on (check the Sunday paper classifieds for these being advertised), even if they are a little out of your geographic area as there is a lot to learn from just going and networking with people who attend them.

Right now you are just experiencing the excitement of nearing completion of school and getting ready to leave the nest, so to speak. You'll make it through. Don't let all the negative stuff you read about on the forums get to you. People tend to talk more about the negative stuff that happens to them than the positive things--makes for better conversations! A lot of new grads can look back and say that had a good initial orientation. I can't promise it won't be stress or anxiety free for you, but the chance of something really horrible going wrong is unlikely.