WOW....just wow

Published

:nono: i don't know rather or not im making the right move here with this ltc job. my grief is they only trained me for two days and threw me to the floor that im assigned too. Does anybody know if this is right i know at other facilites i've seen the new nurses orientate as long as three months. I worked hard for these L.P.N license and don't want too loose them because they didn't give me enough orientation. Im gonna go tommorow too seek other employment not only did i not recieve the training that i need the health benefits suck (the pay is great) but i don't like the people i work with they just sit around and stare oh, not too mention no one speaks good english. well sorry so long but i just had too vent thanks for the listening eyes....lol

Thats soo funny because i just graduated in feb and passed my boards last month.

I had the option of being offered a job with more money and 4 days off (i would work 3 12 hour shifts) at a long term/rehab facility... but the orientation was only for 3 days. I was also offered a position at a large, wellknown and respected hospital in their acute care/vents/trachs/vegetative state department. I took the larger hospital even though the pay was less. I took the larger hospital because orientation is very important. I would get a preceptor for 9 weeks plus the program would be individualized..meaning..if you are not ready.. they will work with you.

Of course.. i had fellow nursing new grad classmates telling me i was stupid to take less money and work more hours at the hospital.. but honestly.. orientation and the experience you gain will be more important than the money.. at least for now. :)

Up Vote Up Vote ×

When I got my first job (LTC), I had 5 days orientation. That consisted of passing meds. I wasn't shown which method of charting to use, just told, "copy what they wrote". Wing it, that's what I did, but hey I am a Nurse, an intelligent one at that. So the real kick in the face was: after one month of work, myself and 5 others were told we were placed on call. We were told a bunch of lies basically. One of the nurses placed on call had been working in this facility 22 years and she is a RN. I know what happen, really...A new owner with a new DON (not american) and our spots were being filled with other nurses (not american). Talk about a kick in the face. This was my first job after receiving my license and now I am gun shy. What to do now....

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ICU, PICC Nurse, Nursing Supervisor.

At my job we get three days orientation unless you are me then I got ask "can you work this afternoon,'yeah sure'" I got through onto the floor by myself. Its a good thing I am a experienced agency LTC nurse and am used to being thrown into the mix with no direction. I cant imagine a LTC giving a 2 month orientation... that seems excessive to me but thats just my opinion. I always told the nurses I orient if you dont feel comfortable ask for more orientation time and the max they would give at my job is 1 week. After that the admin laughs at you ..

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Alzheimer's, Geriatrics.

Ask for more time in orientation, or find somewhere else if you dont feel comfortable. I have worked in several ltc facilities and I have never had more than 3 days orientation, usually just a few hours and then I get, "well you can handle this, go for it"

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.

My orientation is six weeks, but is being run by incompetent instructors. I am making the best of it because my job sponsored my education. I was on paid leave with pay with tuition paid for two years, and part of the contract is that I have to work for them for 3 years. At least I know some people in the facility and they do take the time to show me things. I was just shown the other day how to hang IVs on the main line. I didn't learn that in school, because we were told that New York does not require us to know how to initiate IV to become a practical nurse, but the trick is that your facility may mandate you to learn (which is the case for me). I had to replay the thoughts in my mind over and over again on how to run an IV.

It is interesting how as a licensed person, that the responsibilities that were ignored before can haunt you as a nurse if you are not careful. Make sure that you ask many questions and if the response is not enough to help you learn, consider seeking another place.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Dialysis, clinic, LTC, L&D.

i just got my license... and started working at this nursing home... they have 5 units in the facility... and they trained or orient us in all those 5 units.... so far ive oriented with units 2 and 4... though i am not by myself yet... im still with a nurse.. but i could pass medications already... although i am not familiar with the patients yet.... i also did their 2-day video orientaion with paperwork and stuff before going to the floor orientation.... so far my floor orientation went by fast!!! though im still slow in passing meds since i really dont know the patients very well... but im getting the hang of it and slowly learning the patients one by one.... and i think it will go on for 6-8 weeks of orientation...... im in the process in orienting units 1, 3, and 5...... but we stay in the units for orientation for a few days and then move on to the next unit...

but at the hospital where i used to work as a cna.... and considered it as my no. 1 job place to work at as an lvn.. coz i really dont have to look for a job, im in there already., but that didnt happened... i see and heard on how they orient the new nurses.... they have to go through all the classes the hospital provided.... and orientation, of course.... and i dont know how long exactly was the orientation on the floor and also they orient you on different departments or floors in the hospital for a day just in case you get floated in the future.....

i think hospital and nursing home have different approach on how to orient new nurses in their facility.............

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
i think it will go on for 6-8 weeks of orientation......
You're a LTC rarity! Most of us who work in LTC facilities only received a few hours or days worth of orienting. Consider yourself very lucky and blessed to have received all this training and orientation.
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in LTC, MDS Cordnator, Mental Health.

I love long term care and it will always be my 1st love. I started in the facility as an NA (after i sold MY Business) and the Hired me to work as an LPN Aug 5 2005 (the day i passed my Neclex), and when i graduate they will hire me as an a RN I am using my PTO, 2 days a week to go to the Last Class and my Clinicals. so in effect they are paying me to go to school.

I just started Consulting as an Admissions Cordnator at the neighboring Assisted living center. The DON will sign off on my Assessments. and I will continue with them after i graduate from the RN program. as well

I go home at night and know that i made a difference... by relieving someones pain, by going to bat for them when a doc is ignoring them. and the list can go on and on.

HINT!!! when you go home... while you are driving... think about what you could have done differnet. and then try and do that the next day.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Dialysis, clinic, LTC, L&D.
You're a LTC rarity! Most of us who work in LTC facilities only received a few hours or days worth of orienting. Consider yourself very lucky and blessed to have received all this training and orientation.

yah, maybe because the facility have 5 units. but i think that as long as a new nurse is comfortable enough to go on the floor by themselves, they let you go.... oh yah, i forgot to mention, we also have to take some classes in the facility, like charting and sutff.....

im barely on my 7th day of orientation tomorrow... hopefully things will be alright.....

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion