• Dress the part. Finally, ask the new hire for her scrub sizes and
preferences, as well as any name tag label requirements. It will be
nice to have those items ready and waiting on their first day. If they
will work in the OR, address any dress code items in the welcome
email (jewelry, nails, undershirts, foot attire, cloth caps) to save time
and answer potential questions before the new person starts.
Internal communications
Here are a few key internal items to check off your to-do list.
• Send an intro email. Just before the new hire's start date, email all
your physicians and staff to let them know about the addition to your
staff and encourage those folks to drop a warm welcome into the per-
son's inbox. It will save on intro time and make the new team member
feel more welcome.
• Create a detailed orientation checklist and outline. A good orien-
tation outline ensures you cover everything. Consider including how
the facility documents, how to use the phone and copier, and how
lunches and breaks work. Make sure the new team member completes
any missing new hire paperwork before filing it away in the HR file.
• Complete education and compliance training ASAP. Make sure
that all regulatory training requirements are met within 30 days of
hire. There are organizations that offer web-based, self-paced training
for staff, including ours (osmag.net/Km8KQv).
• Don't forget malignant hyperthermia training. If you use trigger-
ing anesthetic agents, MH training needs to be completed prior to
patient care. The Malignant Hyperthermia Association of the United
States (mhaus.org) offers great resources if your anesthesia provider
doesn't have formal training.
• Assign a preceptor. Make sure the new staffer has an assigned
"go-to" person for questions and support (that person could very
Staffing
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