title: Modeling clinical applications in intensive care settings for nursing orientation.
abstract: The nursing shortage continues to influence the health care industry, as hospitals and other agencies invest resources into hiring and training registered nurses to care for patients. Intensive care nurseries and other specialty units have utilized new graduate registered nurses to reach desired staffing ratios. However, traditional nursing school programs do not routinely prepare graduates for positions in such areas. Orientation programs, especially in intensive care settings, will need structured orientation plans to maximize the opportunities for novice nurses to acquire complex skills and develop critical thinking abilities specific to the patient population. This NICU is an 82-bed, regional level III unit that historically hires new graduate nurses. The purpose of this project was to provide a structured orientation program that utilized computer-based instruction, hands-on learning experiences, and adult learning principles to guide new nurses in the development of their professional practice.
authors.affiliation: Center for Newborn & Infant Care, Woman's Hospital, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA. nicole.square@womans.org
authors.forename: Nicole Decuir
authors.initials: ND
authors.lastname: Square
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015400:Clinical Nursing Research; D003479:Curriculum; D004509:Education, Nursing, Continuing / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D015931:Intensive Care, Neonatal / Q000379:methods*; D008145:Louisiana; D017283:Neonatal Nursing / Q000193:education* / Q000379:methods; D024802:Nurse's Role; D015402:Nursing Education Research; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000193:education; D009936:Organizational Innovation; D018794:Problem-Based Learning / Q000379:methods*; D015397:Program Evaluation; D055815:Young Adult