Nursing

Beef up orientation with modules

Nurse Leader Weekly, May 6, 2005

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Nursing is the backbone of hospitals, and without it organizations would be paralyzed. So it's vital that you fully support new nurses with a complete and comprehensive orientation program.

At Saint Luke's Hospital in Kansas City, MO, clinical education specialist Candace M. Parker, RN, MSN, CNS, helped develop an innovative modular orientation program that makes new nurses feel comfortable and knowledgeable, resulting in low turnover. "Our 7% turnover rate speaks strongly about [Saint Luke's] orientation program," says Parker.

The nursing orientation at Saint Luke's is fairly unique because it gives nurses more training up-front than most programs, so new nurses have a comfort level with certain policies and procedures before entering the unit, she says.

Out with the old
"When I began [working] at the hospital, orientation was basically a three-day, 'parade of stars,'" says Parker. She says the program consisted of high-level administrators welcoming the new hires and bragging about the facility.

Now the bragging session lasts only one day. After that first day, everything taught to orientees is something they will need to practice effectively, whether it's computer training, training about various intravenous (IV) and patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) pumps, or learning to complete various pieces of documentation, she says.

Orientation was also a matter handled primarily at the unit level prior to Parker's arrival at the hospital. Now it is a centralized system run by the Nursing Staff Development Department, which frees up busy managers and preceptors to carry out their daily tasks, says Parker.

In with the new
Saint Luke's nursing orientation lasts for eight days. Newly hired nurses spend the first two days with human resources representatives, learning about topics such as spiritual wellness and the organization's mission, goals, and accomplishments. They also receive diversity training.

On day three, nurses begin their module training. Modular orientation consists of training sessions, or modules, that cover various topics relevant to all practice areas, such as ergonomics, as well as modules specific to specialized-care areas, such as critical care and medical/surgical, says Parker.

When nurses attend a module, they learn everything about a particular topic or area of care, allowing them a level of familiarity with all related tasks. For example, when attending the pain module, a nurse with expertise in pain management teaches orientees about the hospital's pain management guidelines, how to reassess pain parameters, and pain care-related issues and tasks.

Some other modules include

  • codes (e.g., code blue)
  • documentation
  • medication
  • death care guidelines
  • IV and blood

Modules run from one to four hours depending on the amount of information being covered, Parker says. "During these modules, staff are given hands-on practice with the tools and skills they'll be using," Parker says.

Source: Adapted from Competency Management Advisor (April 2005), published by HCPro, Inc.



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