What support do you wish you had as a new nurse?

[Cyra-Lea Drummond]

Hello, fellow nurses! I am working on a blog post about the kind of support new nurses need. Was there anything your employer, unit, or new co-workers did during your orientation period and first few months that made you feel more prepared to be on your own? What do you wish you had that would have made your job easier when starting out? If you are in a preceptor, educator or leadership role, what do you do to make sure newcomers feel welcomed and capable in their practice?

[mmc51264, BSN, MSN, RN]

I had the best orientation. It was part of a Specialized Nurse Intensive Program (SNIP) I got 6 months of 1:1 orientation on my ortho unit. I was amazing. It turns out that is was cost prohibitive because people would stay the contracted 2 years and then leave, so now new grads get 8 weeks. Pendulum swung way too far the other way.

For the new nurses now, I would like to see them assigned a "go-to" person, not just the charge nurse or another veteran nurse. It makes a big difference. I see nurses turned loose after the 8 weeks and they don't know what they don't know.

I try very hard as a preceptor, a charge nurse and a certified ortho nurse to encourage questions and be open to helping; to be approachable.

[Cyra-Lea Drummond]

What an amazing orientation program! I'm sorry to hear your hospital was not able to maintain it. I love idea of having a dedicated mentor a new hire can approach with questions or concerns. Thank you for your input!