6 Steps to Elevating New Employee Integration

Creating a strong connection with new employees is essential for their success and integration into the team.? While these connections would ideally be initiated during the hiring process, we will focus on building and nurturing them from the moment they arrive in your department.

Whether your new employee is a new grad or experienced, they need someone to help them become a part of the team, learn the workflows of the department and develop any skills they may be missing.

This is where a preceptor comes in.?

As you may know, a preceptor is a structured guide for new employees (or students), distinct from a mentor.? While a preceptor may become a mentor, that is not how the relationship begins.?

The preceptor relationship has clearly defined roles and responsibilities designed to help the new employee reach competent coworker status – within a defined timeframe.

Understanding this role is essential to appreciate how preceptors can significantly impact a new employee’s journey.

Being a preceptor is a big responsibility!

The preceptor needs to assess the learning needs of the new employee, analyze where their knowledge and skill gaps are, develop a learning plan, implement the learning plan, and then evaluate how the new employee is progressing toward their goals.

All this while integrating the new employee into the social structure of the team – oh yes… and doing their typical job as well.

Yet when done well, effective preceptor programs have been shown to decrease staff turnover by up to 46.5% and reduce medication errors by up to 100% resulting in better outcomes for the patients and cost savings for the organization. (Lee et al, 2009)

So you want to start a preceptor program.? Great!?

Here are some tips to get you started.

Building a Preceptor Program

1.????? Choose the Right People: Choosing people to be preceptors can make all the difference in the world.? Look for staff members who are compassionate and have a passion for excellence.

2.????? Standardize Processes: I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had preceptors complain to me about other preceptors who taught what they felt was the wrong thing.? To avoid confusion and frustration (and the resulting poor morale), it is essential that procedures and workflows are written out.? The more complex the workflow, the more important that it be written out.? Whether the processes are then kept in a policy file or just a notebook does not matter as much as whether everyone knows where to go for the “source of truth.”? Believe me… you’ll thank me for this tip later.? It will save you buckets of heartache.

3.????? Create a Positive Learning Environment: People need a safe place to learn.? Creating a culture where people are supported through the learning process and encouraged to keep learning… rather than being chastised for what they don’t know… will create an environment where students feel safe asking questions and developing skills.

4.????? Provide Preceptor Education: As you saw in the last section, there is a lot that preceptors need to do to help a new employee reach competent coworker status.? The thing is, many of the skills needed to be a great preceptor are not a part of the skillset that made them a great employee.? They need to expand their skills and learn the essentials of analyzing learning needs, teaching, coaching, evaluating, providing feedback, and dealing with difficult people and situations.? New preceptors need a training and development program that gives them the tools to develop these skills.

5.????? Plan for Continuing Preceptor Development: Though a foundational, one-time preceptor training class is necessary, preceptors should be provided with opportunities to continue to grow their skills.? This type of continued development is good for the preceptor and good for the department.? It also shows the preceptor that you value them and their contribution.

6.????? Develop a System for Preceptor Support: Let’s face it… though we would wish that all of our new hires turn out great, we will run into difficult situations and personalities.? Providing the backup and support to help your preceptors through these situations will build trust and respect between you (the manager) and the preceptor.

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By building an effective preceptor program, you not only enhance the onboarding experience of new employees but also contribute to a more cohesive and efficient team environment.? The reward is well worth the effort.?

Start laying the foundation for your department’s success today.

And if you need help – it’s only a message away.

#Preceptor #healthcare #Nurses #CNA #MedicalAssistant #PreceptorDevelopment #ProfessionalDevelopment

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I have been teaching preceptors for 10+ years and now, I am on a mission to help healthcare organizations get their preceptors the training they need.?

If you would like a done for you interactive preceptor course for your employees you can learn more here.

If you or someone you know could use help building your own preceptor program, please reach out to me, or forward them this newsletter.

Here’s to making healthcare the workplace we want it to be.