2 4 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • J U N E 2 0 1 9
A
fter the grind
of the inter-
view process,
it's exciting when you
find a nurse who will
be a great addition to
your team. You're hop-
ing the person will
blend well with your
culture, be accepted
by all and serve as an
asset for your facility.
But in addition to the
excitement, there's another component to the hiring process. Bringing
on new staff adds a number of time-consuming tasks to a busy surgi-
cal facility leader's workload. To help, here is a list of critical onboard-
ing tasks as well as some tips to make the whole process easier.
• License check. Make sure the candidate holds an active nurses
license without any discipline issues before you make an employment
offer. Nursys (osmag.net/7tRTnG) is a national database for verifica-
tion of nurse licensure, discipline and practice privileges.
• Criminal background check. Similarly, you want to perform a
criminal background check beforehand. I've used Sunshine Research
(osmag.net/7hPBNo) and have been very happy with the ease and
timeliness they offer — a 48-hour turnaround time on all criminal
searches ordered — but there's no shortage of dependable vendors
available. Do a little research and find the right background company
Before You Make That Job Offer
Tips to ensure a smooth start for your new nurse hires.
Staffing
Leslie Mattson, RN, BSHM, LNC
• START STRONG Just before the start date, email your physicians and staff to let
them know about the new hire and encourage them to welcome the team's latest
addition.
