The first day and first week on your new assignment can be nerve racking. There are so many emotions; you are excited for the new opportunity but may be a bit worried. You may not know anyone, may not be familiar with the area, or are even new to being a traveler. There are steps you can take before your first day and questions to ask to ensure this assignment starts off on the right foot.
Prior to your assignment:
Know where and when you are supposed to be at orientation. Some hospitals have HR in different buildings – you may need to go there first.
Know your dress code for the first day – are scrubs okay or do you need to be business casual – and what does that mean to the hospital.
Practice the best route to the hospital; know how long it will take you to get there.
Be early on your first day.
As you venture into your unit there are questions you can ask during your first day to help make your transition into the hospital, unit, and team as smooth as possible. Below are some questions to help you.
- What is the best way to communicate with your supervisor, charge nurse, and other nurses on the unit? Does your supervisor prefer phone, face to face, etc.? How does the charge nurse like reporting done?
- Where is the policy and procedures manual? Every facility has its nuances. Knowing where the manual is (in print or online) will be a helpful reference.
- If not provided with orientation, request a tour. This can help you find the bathrooms, break rooms, time clocks, supply areas, etc.
- Find out how the schedule works. Is it set in advance, is self-scheduling an option, and how do weekend rotations work? If applicable ask about on-call, call back, and how to schedule time off. Does OT need to be approved in advance?
- Ask where all emergency equipment is, how call codes are called in your facility, and be sure you know how to activate the code teams. For example, in most facilities codes may be called for a cardiac arrest, fire, and a violent patient. Get a cheat sheet if you need to in order to remember codes.
Asking questions and being prepared can help ease your stress and make you feel more confident as you take on this new challenge.
Why are all these about nurses? Yes, nurses are very important, but they are not the only travelers. How about pertinent info for laboratory technicians, radiology techs or PT?
Good post.
But you said too much about nurses.
Keep it up 🙂