BILLINGS — A new orientation program created by three nurses at St. Vincent Regional Hospital in Billings is helping new nurses build confidence before they work independently on the floor.
Kyliegh Riehl is a new nurse who went through the program.
Watch nurses talk about the program:
"When I first read it, I didn't really know what I was looking at. And then I started on my first day. And my preceptor, who has been with me throughout my orientation, basically walked me through the whole process," Riehl said Tuesday.
The program centers on a redesigned orientation manual that lays out expectations week by week.
"The way it works is it, in detail, tells you what you'll be doing week by week," Riehl said.
Allie Bofto, a registered nurse, said she redesigned the orientation after noticing how overwhelmed new nurses were under the old model.
"Our last model really was just a piece of paper with a million different competencies that the nurses had to go through before the end of their 12 weeks," Bofto said.
Bofto said the new approach breaks information into manageable pieces.
"To be able to break things down into chunks of information is really helpful for both people because I don't want to make someone more confused by going into stuff that isn't super pertinent," Bofto said.
The goal of the program extends beyond the nurses themselves.
"The goal is to have our new grad nurses come out with confidence, readiness, and just being ready to function on the floor," Bofto said.
Chief Nursing Officer Janet Harris said better-prepared nurses also lead to better outcomes for patients.
"We just see time after time when nurses are there to help make those decisions. We do a much better job," Harris said.
For Riehl, the program delivered on that promise.
"I feel better on my own after having gone through the program. And I can always reflect back and look at everything and make sure that I'm doing my job to the fullness of what's expected of me," Riehl said.
