A standardized and structured onboarding process is highly effective to ensure that every new nurse you hire has a consistently excellent onboarding experience. Remember that the orientation experiences can directly affect nurse retention, so it is vital to ensure the process provides what newly hired nurses want from an onboarding process. Proper onboarding is an effective way to maximize the investment you are making in your team members throughout their journey.
How to Improve the Onboarding of Newly Hired Nurses
Communication
For a new nurse, communication with future co-workers and supervisors is crucial for success. Establish a standardized communication protocol for all new nurse hires between the offer letter and their first day on the job. If you are the hiring manager, consider sending a welcome email or a small gift to their home. This communication will make your new hire feel valued, but it also creates open lines of communication if they have questions that non-clinical personnel can’t answer.
Responsibilities and Expectations
Poorly defined job responsibilities create a challenge for a new nurse. It is frustrating and distracting. A clearly defined job description and role assignment can help new nurses understand their responsibilities and fit into your organization. Defined roles and scope of practice create an efficient and productive training timeline by eliminating unnecessary ambiguity.
Let New Hires Know What to Expect
Knowing what to expect at their new job can significantly reduce the learning curve and help a new nurse get off to a great start. You can help manage your new nurse’s expectations by sharing daily life at your health care organization. Coordination of communication with future peers establishes a rapport of comfort and trust that helps nurses reach their potential quickly.
Centrally Organized Training
A structured approach with a standardized procedure reduces the confusion created by multiple information sources. A newly hired nurse will likely want to know the following:
- What is the focus of the training?
- When will the training take place?
- Who is the trainer?
- Is there department-specific training needed?
Try to establish training schedules, manuals, and procedural material for the mentor/mentee while allowing them to use real-time digital assessment tools. Try to pair your new hires with a mentor during the onboarding process.
Orientation
The first orientation day can be an overwhelming experience with health insurance, financial directives and compliance paperwork. It is easy to make rushed and misinformed decisions during this chaos. Having information in advance of orientation allows for more time to make a thoughtful decision. Try to send new hire documents digitally before the first day. Automation simplifies this step and reduces orientation time.
Good Onboarding Starts With a Smooth Hiring Process
Retention is often improved by better onboarding. It is also improved by a smooth hiring process. Work with myRNsolutions to find nurses that fit your hiring needs.
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