Two times each year, in February and July,  USC University Hospital and USC/Norris Cancer Hospital host a New Graduate Program that is designed to provide the graduating nursing student with information and skills essential to making a smooth transition from Student Nurse to Registered Nurse. Through lectures, on-line learning, discussion, demonstration, skill laboratories, and clinical experience, the participant is provided with opportunities to enhance clinical and critical thinking skills as it applies to the Registered Nurse scope of practice and the nursing role at USCUH/Norris.

The program includes a formal New Graduate Core Curriculum with a focus on interactive lectures/discussion, avanced online learning modules and skills labs. The core includes the following topics:

Transitional Skills

•  Communication Skills
•  Scope of Practice
•  Time Management
•  Delegation
•  Reality Shock
•  Novice to Expect

Care of the Surgical Patients

• Pre and post Operative Assessments and Interventions
• Informed Consent
• Bloodless Surgery*
• Blood Administration
• Tubes and Drains

*Disclaimer:
"Bloodless" means medical or surgical treatment without the use of banked (stored), allogeneic blood or primary blood components.  Blood loss often occurs during surgery. A transfusion-free program endeavors to minimize blood loss by utilizing special blood conservation methods.

IV Therapy and Vascular Access Device

• Peripheral IVs
• PICC Lines
• Short Term Central Venous Catheters
• Long Term Catheters including Implanted Ports

Pain Management

• Assessment and Documentation of Pain
• Pharmacological Options
• IV PCA
• Epidural Analgesia

Care of the Cardiovascular and/or Pulmonary Patients

• Cardiovascular Assessment
• Cardiovascular Assessment               
• Pulmonary Assessment
• ABG Analysis
• Code Blue Respond

Medical Aspects of Patients Care

• Diabetes Treatment
• Nutritional Management
• Wound/Ostomy/Skin/Incontinence Care  

The Interdisciplinary Team

•  Ancillary Services
• Clinical Decision Making

In addition to the New Grad Core Curriculum there are additional classes provided based on patient populations that the new grad will encounter. These include:

• ECG Rhythm Interpretation and Treatment
• Cardiovascular Pharmacology
• Step Down Unit Hemodynamic Monitoring and Pulmonary Support Therapies
• Critical Care Core Curriculum
• Orthopaedic Core Curriculum

Scheduled clinical shifts are the final components of the New Grad Program. Core knowledge and skills to safely and successfully transition the new grad from nursing students to competent staff nurses are emphasized. Each new grad is paired with a designated clinical preceptor during the orientation period.

 Critical Care Core: 

USC University Hospital offers a comprehensive Critical Care Core geared to transition either the new graduate RN or experienced medical surgical RN into the critical care environment. The program involves both classroom instruction and a clinical preceptorship. The program consists of lecture, case study discussion and state-of–the–art online learning modules. Lectures include Nursing Practitioners, Critical Care Nurses, Critical Care Educators as well as USC Keck School of Medical physicians.

Topics include:

• Hemodynamic Monitoring
• Ventilators
• Fluid and Electrolytes
• Critical Care Cardiology, Pulmonology, Neurology, Nephrilogy, Hematology  
• Thoracic Foregut Post Operative Care
• Organ Failure and Post Operative Transplant Care:

                Cardiac

                Pulmonary

                Kidney

                Pancreas

Liver

Telemetry Training:

USC University Hospital offers a four-day telemetry course required for those inexperienced nurses hired to critical care or telemetry units. The focus is on ECG rhythm analysis and treatment modalities based on American Heart Association (AHA) guidelines. The course is comprehensive and prepares the RN with essential knowledge needed to successfully complete Advance Cardiac Life Support.

USC University Hospital also offers an optional 12 Lead ECG Analysis Course. This course prepare the nurse to review a 12 Lead ECG tracing and determine the following:

• Normal lead characteristics
• Axis Deviation
• Right and Left Bundle Branch Block
•  Left anterior and posterior hemiblock
•  Ischemia, Injury and Infarction location

Perioperative Nurse Training Program

An effective education program to orient new nurses to the OR

The program is designed as a career track program to provide intensive training for the registered nurses new to the perioperative field with knowledge and skills prerequisite to basic perioperative nursing practice. The program is based on a didactic and supportive learning experience that will result in a competent and professional perioperative nurse. The program is approximately 24 weeks in length that includes 6 weeks of classroom instruction and preceptored clinical experience. The first six weeks will be devoted to lecture and classroom activities Monday through Wednesday. Thursday and Friday will be clinical days with assigned preceptors. The rest of the training period will be in the clinical setting with assigned preceptors.

The program follows the AORN Competencies and Standards of Practice. Upon successful completion of the program, the participant will be able to function in the novice level for a scrub and circulating nurse position in the operating suite during various surgical procedures.