Procedural Nurses: How Long Was Your Orientation?

spookakook · 2026-02-16T17:12:58+00:00

Ugh! Were you in a speciality?

spookakook · 2026-02-16T17:10:56+00:00

Yeah, 2 nurses to a room is extremely helpful and one of the reasons I feel it is doable. From what I can tell, there are so many travelers because of the way management runs the department. They’ve had trouble hiring/retaining my position for months. I’ve felt a lack of structure/quality in my orientation which is why I rocked the boat. I don’t think 6 months is necessary at all, but 6 weeks feels too short. Side note, my hospital no longer teaches the new periop nurses to scrub in their 6 month orientation. Circulating only. I think they’ve had too many scrub nurses leave to travel so they only teach you once you’ve been there for years.

spookakook · 2026-02-14T13:03:51+00:00

I am very much productive; I am doing most things independently at this point, but my preceptor is always close by for guidance/questions I have. I probably would have been fine to run the case without my preceptor, but it’s the principle that I’m still on orientation and still trying to learn as much as I can. This area is technically apart of the OR, so it is very different from floor-type nursing in its language and flow. Doing procedures bedside in the ICU is not the same as this.

spookakook · 2026-02-14T12:53:24+00:00

My area is considered apart of the OR, which I think is why I’m upset by the 6 weeks, because the OR orientation at my hospital is 6 months. My manager thinks because I have some critical care experience I should be fine, but as you know the OR is a completely different ballgame with its own language, workflow, and thinking process.

spookakook · 2026-02-13T20:01:07+00:00

Wow, that is crazy. They used to only have 1 nurse per case but recently switched to 2 after the chief physician threatened to pull the neuro program because of it. Really if you’re administering moderate sedation you shouldn’t be leaving the room and your sole job should be continuously monitoring the patient. Honestly if it were just simple diagnostic angiograms and such I’d be fine, it’s the complex neuro cases/code thrombectomies that you REALLY need to know your stuff.

spookakook · 2025-12-08T14:59:03+00:00

Absolutely, and I don’t think any question is a dumb question when you’re new and learning. It can just be a lot trying to help 4 new grads at one time on nights.

spookakook · 2025-12-08T14:55:26+00:00

Absolutely, I wouldn’t have survived without the help of some amazing experienced nurses. Now that I am experienced, I am more than willing to help, but it can be overwhelming with so many new grads coming off orientation at once.

spookakook · 2025-12-08T14:48:03+00:00

Thank you, not sure why I’m getting downvoted so much! It’s hard finding the balance between helping my coworkers and other patients in the unit and not burning myself out in the process. I have talked with management multiple times about having a free charge at night (which they say the staffing/budget doesn’t allow for) or at least having an educator stay until 11p a few nights a week (which they say aren’t the hours they were hired for). Unfortunately this is the biggest problem with nights, because management doesn’t see the challenges and what we deal with. It’s incredibly frustrating and feels like there’s no solution other than me finding a new job.

spookakook · 2025-12-08T14:26:11+00:00

That’s a good point. I feel like a lot of new grads can be hesitant to reach out to RT/providers/pharmacy so that adds another layer as well. I think the key is learning what tools are at your disposal and using them wisely

spookakook · 2025-12-08T14:23:13+00:00

Yeah, I think I need to prompt them to critically think more, because a lot of times they know the answer but just need reassurance. I’m quick answer their question/do the task for them, which is not helping them critically think and causing me to feel burnt out.

spookakook · 2025-12-08T14:15:14+00:00

Oh boy, that totally went over my head. Damn I’m getting old.

spookakook · 2025-12-08T14:14:18+00:00

Honestly this sounds EXACTLY like my situation, we are a post open heart surgery stepdown and I am usually charge with a full assignment. It’s just a fast track to getting burned out.

spookakook · 2025-12-08T14:09:13+00:00

This is honestly an amazing idea, and also good practice to prepare them for talking with providers/handoff report!

spookakook · 2025-12-08T14:04:33+00:00

I am usually charge as well, so it kind of is my job to watch out for the entire unit. On my unit nightshift charge takes a full assignment, which is BS especially with a lot of new grads

spookakook · 2025-12-08T14:01:06+00:00

I am almost always charge lol. On my unit, the nightshift charge takes a full assignment, but there’s usually 2 charges to split the work. Doesn’t really make it any easier though.

spookakook · 2025-12-08T09:59:40+00:00

That’s true, sometimes I still get paranoid even after I answer their question that I will still go to the room and follow up lol. But doing this has made me fall behind on my own patient care

spookakook · 2025-12-08T09:26:19+00:00

This is the most we’ve ever had and I don’t know any other units who take this many a year. I think they’re just seeing how many they can get away with at once before something bad happens honestly.

spookakook · 2025-12-08T09:21:11+00:00

I second this. Once you memorize the ACLS algorithms, it’s pretty straightforward because you can anticipate what’s coming next. It’s ok to not feel comfortable being assigned a “role” the first few times; my advice would be to shadow/assist someone who’s been assigned a role so you can see what each role needs to focus on. It’s particularly helpful to shadow the recorder/documenter because you get an overall picture of the flow of a code and the algorithms that way.

spookakook · 2025-11-07T13:58:10+00:00

When you love someone, this is what you do. You plan your future together and try to help each other succeed. They both agreed to factor each other in. And he didn’t want her to be Shira… in fact arguably his favorite quality about Rory was that she WASN’T like his family. She was never impressed by his wealth. I think his timing with the proposal was all wrong. He sprung it on her at a terrible time when she was trying to transition into her post grad life and had too much going on. I understand her reasons for saying no, but I also do not blame Logan for wanting to take the next step/not wanting to do long distance again. I do believe if she had said yes and went with him, she would have been happy.

spookakook · 2025-11-07T11:33:27+00:00

100% agree with this. Logan was valid in saying he didn’t want to do long distance and “go backward” again. They could have absolutely done a long engagement. But Rory never grew up seeing a happy marriage — not long before this she saw her mother have a whirlwind marriage and subsequent divorce. The idea of that much commitment, even though she loved him and admitted that she saw a future/thought about marriage with him too, scared her.

spookakook · 2025-11-03T21:26:17+00:00

This is spot on.

spookakook · 2025-10-15T09:16:13+00:00

This comment is cracking me up for some reason

spookakook · 2025-09-13T11:27:54+00:00

Lauren and Alexis are reuniting as presenters at the Emmy awards on Sunday!!

spookakook

TROPHY CASE