Advanced Practice Nurse Orientation Process

As an advanced practice new grad, the orientation process with your practice or hospital is critical to your success and happiness. When interviewing for advanced pediatric nursing jobs, it is highly recommended that you ask the provider about their orientation process. Make sure that the provider’s process is structured and supportive enough to get you off to a great start in your new pediatric nursing position. Here are some suggestions and guidelines you should look for in an Advanced Practice Pediatric Nursing orientation process:

1. Talk with providers or potential pediatric employers about their orientation process
-Time frame 2-5 months
-Discuss patient load and benchmarks for increasing to full load
-Identify the providers that are available for questions or to see your patients when necessary, ideally a person to precept you
-Identify a mentor- different from a preceptor, this person is a trusted person that can help you talk through challenges

2. Shadow physicians and other PNPs in the office.
-Learn the protocol which can be different for each provider. Discuss protocol with each provider, make notes, and develop list of protocols to review with providers.
-When you learn the electronic medical record system, you could enter the information as they see the patient during your orientation process

3. Agree on a caseload that starts off slow and then work up to a full patient load.
-Establish benchmarks for increasing patient load
-It is reasonable to start with 4 -6 patients a day, then you can take as much time as needed to initially see patients.
-Use additional time to shadow, learn electronic medical records, have providers shadow you, review medications, illnesses, and protocols
-On average Pediatric Nurse Practitioners see 18-25 patients a day. If you have an hour for lunch this works out to be 15-20 minutes per patient.

4. Changing roles from a RN to a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner
*Your peers have identified this process as:
-Changing from a job to a career
-Changing to the decision maker
-Stressful transition in the first 12 – 18 months

To inquire about pediatric nurse practitioner jobs visit Melnic Consulting Group or contact:Jill Gilliland 800-886-7906 jill@melnic.com