What was your orientation like?

[dianacs]

I'm starting a critical care orientation this January. What was yours like? What did it involve? Did you feel overwhelmed by all the new information? Just curious.

[jetta1]

I'm in critical care also. My orientation was just under 12 weeks. The amount of time spent on orientation depended on you at my hospital. In the beginning before I actually started on the unit, I had hospital orientation for almost 2 weeks! Once I finally got on the unit, I had a unit orientation seek and find type thing and started off with one easy patient. Then it was two easy patients, then one hard and one easy, then two critical patients.

It's overwhelming because you have all this information that you need to familiarize with like the flowsheet, drawing up labs, what to do when such and such happens, who do you call-the resident? attending? primary service?, how long can drips or IV tubing hang?, putting in orders in the computer, and even just remembering your co-workers names! I found that it took several times for me to register information and usually, I am quick to pick up on things.

I had a wonderful preceptor and I am so glad that I had her because some nurses that I was with in nursing school were just awful.