Orientation

Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh provides new nurses with individualized orientation that covers general nursing issues and other topics based on their specialty focus.

Unit-Based Team Model for Care Delivery
Discussion of the roles of all players, including nurses, in the care of each patient
Introduction to Patient- and Family-Centered Care
Includes team effectiveness in pediatric care delivery, pediatric medication administration, activities of daily living, respiratory care management and infection control
Nursing Skills
Includes pediatric physical assessment, phlebotomy, skin care, care of central lines, care of chest tubes and administration of blood and blood products
Beyond Basics
Includes professionalism and pediatric nursing practice issues; communication and team-based knowledge transfer; delegation; pain management; patient and family dynamics; and care coordination and discharge planning

The following training is provided continually for nurses throughout their career at Children's:

Pediatric Specialty Courses
Specialty courses may be required, depending on a nurse's specific job. Nurses who work in specialty areas take specialty courses, including chemotherapy and immunotherapy; cardiac series; critical care course; bone marrow transplant workshop; and asthma module.
Children'sNet Education
All caregivers must complete this course, which educates individuals on Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh's electronic medical record-keeping system, Children'sNet.
CHEX
This self-paced computer-based training offers mandatory courses in clinical judgment; environment of care and safety; organizational performance, such as promoting patient safety; and PC skills.

Frequently Asked Questions About Orientation

Orientation begins as a two-week classroom-based learning experience. During those two weeks, one meets with Human Resources, attends Cerner computer-based charting education, and is provided with the basic skills needed to care for the pediatric patient. At the completion of those two weeks, you begin clinical orientation with an assigned preceptor. Throughout orientation, additional educational lectures/classes and on-line courses are presented to specific units.

When assigning preceptors, the nurse educator reviews the new hire's educational background, previous health care experience, and current pediatric knowledge base. Preceptors are chosen specifically for each individual.

Every unit varies as to the number of preceptors each nurse will be assigned to; however, it is our primary practice at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh for a nurse to work with one preceptor.

In addition to clinical orientation, there are a host of other educational opportunities for new hires. Each unit provides you with the knowledge necessary to care for its specific patient population. The list of educational opportunities and their descriptions are available to employees on Children's Intranet site.

There is nothing that is mandatory to review before beginning orientation. All the information and skills you need will be provided during orientation either through hands-on learning, online tutorials or through classroom education.