Orientation is 20% Over

So clearly the last few weeks have been pretty crazed as the blog has been silent for a couple weeks.  I am happy to report that I am alive, and while the new job is kicking my butt, it is getting kicked in a good way.  Before graduation everyone talked about the steep learning curve for new nurses; usually it takes someone about 6 months before they know the ropes on their unit and nearly a year before they feel like they know what they are doing. 

Let me give you a quick run down of the first three weeks.  Before the official two day hospital orientation, I went in for my physical and to be fitted for a mask.  While I won't be wearing it all the time, it does come in handy for patients on airborne precaution.  The last time I work masks like this one was when I was doing demo work in the Rockaways. 

New graduate orientation is a year long process which has two components.  The first is the 10 week orientation to your unit.  As the weeks go by you pick up more patients until you are taking care of five, learn how to navigate the complex hospital system, and demonstrate you are competent in a variety of skills.  Your preceptor, basically a mentor, is there to guide you through the process.  The second component is a hospital wide program for all new graduates and takes a year to complete.  New grads come together several times throughout the year for additional skills and trainings (we have two days of EKG training at the end of the month) and will eventually present some kind of evidence based project which will benefit your unit.  

After you graduate from school, pass the NCLEX and finally show up for your first few weeks many of us feel like the poor dog below (there are so many good nursing memes).  While you have tons of book knowledge and some clinical knowledge, the trick is to now pull it all together while you are on your own. 

Week 1, which should really be called week 0, was filled with two long days of hospital orientation and then a shadow day with my preceptor on the floor.  For the first official week on the floor you get one patient, for week two and three you get two patients and it continues to build until you have five patients during week nine and ten.  Thankfully as the third week starts, I am starting to understand the ropes and not feeling like my butt is getting completely kicked after every 12 hour shift. 

And now on a much more random note.  A few weeks back I was getting caught up on This American Life podcasts and out of nowhere, while on hold with the IT department, the Stuck In the Middle episode came to mind.  While this may seem random, one of the stories was about one man's life long quest to find a piece of hold music; he frequently heard it when talking with doctor's offices, hospitals, insurance companies, etc.  The first time I was placed on hold at the hospital, I was shocked when they were playing Opus No. 1, by Tim Carleton and Darrick Dee, AKA the very song which was featured in the episode.  Talk about a small world.

Two weeks down and eight to go!!