General Surgery

Our general surgery unit is a fast-paced, team-oriented 35-bed unit that focuses heavily on teaching and mentoring.

We care for a wide range of surgical patients, with core populations of colorectal surgery, bariatric surgery, kidney and pancreas transplant, trauma, burns, and dental and reconstructive plastic surgery.

We are a clinical rotation site for nursing students at the University of Vermont and Vermont Technical College. Our environment is very supportive of learning. Both students and new staff are welcomed and encouraged to keep asking for help and information until they understand and are comfortable with what they are doing. We are fast-paced, but very supportive and we have a lot of fun together.

Our nurses are supported by a Care Coordinator and a Nurse Educator. There are multiple opportunities to specialize, as the primary nurse for a complex patient, as a preceptor, as a Burn nurse resource or as Geriatric or Diabetes unit resource nurses, serving all staff in the unit. Nurses have the opportunity to advance through the clinical ladder or they can become Care Coordinators, Nurse Educators or Assistant Nurse Managers.

All nurses are invited to participate in our Shared Governance council, which focuses on quality improvement, education and clinical practice.

For more information call Megan Brunovsky at 800-722-9922, option 3, or 802-847-9680 or visit www.fletcherallen.org.

General Surgery

Orientation

RN orientation is a year-long process, with the first 10 weeks dedicated to hospital orientation, systems-level nursing orientation and unit-level clinical experience and didactics. The Nurse Educator is very active in the orientation process. During the first 10 weeks, the new RN is assigned to work with preceptors to learn the routine of the unit, master organizational skills and become confident with the computer applications related to nursing documentation. We also offer hands-on educational opportunities off the unit such as: observing in the OR; working with a respiratory therapist learning tracheostomy care and suctioning; spending 4 hours with our enterostomal nurse learning ostomy care and teaching strategies with patients; or taking a trip to Radiology observing procedures such as angiography, fistulagrams, tube studies and tube placements.