Orientation to a New Hospital
This week's post is definitely more for the nurses, but any feedback is good feedback!
I am currently in the midst of my Master's Degree clinical and I have been enjoying it immensely. I just so happened to happily-on-accident stumble across the education department at my new hospital. I was in the middle of my orientation week with them while still desperately on the hunt for a preceptor. One of the ladies doing the teaching was a masters-prepared nurse and my brain started running like a hamster on a wheel.
...I need a preceptor... I like education... this building seems nice... I like the office space... etc etc etc
So the very next day, I approached my soon-to-be-preceptor. And she was very confused. VERY confused at what I was asking of her.
But alas, being the up-for-anything type of person she is, she said yes.
Little did we know that the approval process would take another five...long...weeks. I was nail biting and tossing and turning at night. I had no appetite and my hair was falling out. But nonetheless, I got there. And then I had to work. I had so many hours to make up, its not even funny. But because of her grace and patience and then the grace and patience of everyone else in that office, I have had an amazing experience filled with many laughs, scary moments, and learning experiences.
I promise I had a point in all of that. The point is this: a large portion of my clinical in the education department is teaching orientation to the new hires. And I want to know what your process was like at your previous hospitals. What worked? What didn't work? We are looking to overhaul our experience and I would love some feedback and what format works best for you. No one likes a week-long lecture on the same exact Joint Commission standards that you get anywhere else so what does keep your attention?
I also would love to hear some stories about your education departments at your facilities. What do you like about the department? What do you feel is lacking?
Too often, it is such a neglected department within a hospital but it truly is one of the more important ones. The education department is the best way to disseminate information because the very special people that were hired into that position in the first place. Cold-hearted people don't get hired into education. Fuzzy, warm, smart people get hired into education. And they make much stronger change champions on the floor than others because they are people-persons. They are imperative to the success of any hospital for a multitude of reasons.
And at hospitals where there aren't enough educators, it is certainly obvious. Standards are not met. Policies are not upheld. Patient outcomes suffer, as do nurse satisfaction.
Education is the backbone of any hospital. How do we make it better? Thoughts, please!
I am currently in the midst of my Master's Degree clinical and I have been enjoying it immensely. I just so happened to happily-on-accident stumble across the education department at my new hospital. I was in the middle of my orientation week with them while still desperately on the hunt for a preceptor. One of the ladies doing the teaching was a masters-prepared nurse and my brain started running like a hamster on a wheel.
...I need a preceptor... I like education... this building seems nice... I like the office space... etc etc etc
So the very next day, I approached my soon-to-be-preceptor. And she was very confused. VERY confused at what I was asking of her.
But alas, being the up-for-anything type of person she is, she said yes.
Little did we know that the approval process would take another five...long...weeks. I was nail biting and tossing and turning at night. I had no appetite and my hair was falling out. But nonetheless, I got there. And then I had to work. I had so many hours to make up, its not even funny. But because of her grace and patience and then the grace and patience of everyone else in that office, I have had an amazing experience filled with many laughs, scary moments, and learning experiences.
I promise I had a point in all of that. The point is this: a large portion of my clinical in the education department is teaching orientation to the new hires. And I want to know what your process was like at your previous hospitals. What worked? What didn't work? We are looking to overhaul our experience and I would love some feedback and what format works best for you. No one likes a week-long lecture on the same exact Joint Commission standards that you get anywhere else so what does keep your attention?
I also would love to hear some stories about your education departments at your facilities. What do you like about the department? What do you feel is lacking?
Too often, it is such a neglected department within a hospital but it truly is one of the more important ones. The education department is the best way to disseminate information because the very special people that were hired into that position in the first place. Cold-hearted people don't get hired into education. Fuzzy, warm, smart people get hired into education. And they make much stronger change champions on the floor than others because they are people-persons. They are imperative to the success of any hospital for a multitude of reasons.
And at hospitals where there aren't enough educators, it is certainly obvious. Standards are not met. Policies are not upheld. Patient outcomes suffer, as do nurse satisfaction.
Education is the backbone of any hospital. How do we make it better? Thoughts, please!
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