How do you make new hires feel welcome on your unit?

Nurses General Nursing

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We are re-vamping our preceptor/orientation program and I want to focus on making newly hired nurses feel welcome on our unit. So...

Do you do anything special to make your new hires feel welcome? Do they get welcome gifts?

Do you have any tips for creating a positive environment and socializing new hires?

Thanks!

Specializes in Psych Nursing.

I'm a recent grad (May '12) in a gigantic Internship. I'm in Cohort 2 of 3 and the Education Coordinator has done a variety of things to help us feel more welcome:

1. Came to General Nursing Orientation (for the whole system) and gave us a care package and welcomed us to the ICU in front of all of the RN orientees

2. Has had 2 receptions for us so that the staff that haven't had a chance to work with us the past 7-11 weeks can meet us and speak with us.

3. Created an "Intern Book" with our pictures and a few quirky little facts about us

4. The President of the entire system came to meet us at one of the receptions and took the time to speak to each individual

5. On a daily basis many nurses ask us how things are going or come and get us if something cool is happening.

6. The Director of the ICU says good morning to each of us everyday (we can only do day shift during Internship)

7. We have been included in the process for hiring 2 new managers and setting up the new Intermediate Care Unit

Plus, we (in Cohort 2) just received our Mentors, which we got to submit a preferred list and will find out our Preceptors within the next 2 weeks or so. Working with a variety of people thus far has really made me feel welcome and has helped me develop my own "way" by seeing how a variety of very different nurses does the essentially the same thing.

Specializes in Adult Critical Care, Cardiothoracic Surgery.
I think being self-depricating can be a huge way to boost newcomer confidence. When I had new people ask me stuff and comment on feeling like they don't "get it" I always tried to tell them that when I first started, my MAR summary called for mupirocin cream inside this lady's nares as part of our VAP protocol. When I got the little baggie out of the pyxis I was like, "what the hell do i do with this crap?" So I ever so deftly stuck a (gloved) pinkie finger in the bag, covered it with the ointment, and started effectively picking my patient's nose with it. It wasn't til i noticed my pt laugh and write on her communication board "thanks for the effort, but they usually just hand me a couple of q-tips and the bag" that I felt like a moron yet more at ease with the situation.

Using opportunities to tell new grads about the boneheaded crap we all did when we started is a great way to help people settle in.

Yes! This is one of my most effective ways of bonding with new people! Because I have tons of examples....:uhoh3:

Specializes in Adult Critical Care, Cardiothoracic Surgery.
I want to add something in addition to my above post. One thing I wish managers did is when there's a staff meeting, take like 15-20 minutes or so and the new grad/new staff/other people who aren't fast enough or have staff complaining about them--write their names down and the complaints on them and then, the staff that did the complaining should have to get in a small group at the meeting (in private, not with other staff around) and come up with ways (preferably in writing) to help that new grad/staff succeed or correct what's wrong. They seem to know how to correct it if they are complaining about it.

I will use myself as an example. I was a tech at one point and I will be honest, it was rough time management wise and I did not get everything done the nurses expected my to get done. I was told that several nurses (not all though) had concerns about time management, etc. Yet, even though multiple people complain, only 1 nurse pulled me aside and gave me suggestions on time management and everything. I think my manager should have written my name down with the nurses complaints and the people who complained about me need to get together and come up with suggestions on how to help me succeed. Otherwise, criticism is worthless and does nothing but bring down the morale of the unit. You very quickly realize who is trying to get a person fired because of a personality conflict and who just doesn't think the person is cutting it. If it seems like one person is always complaining about a staff member without offering constructive criticism, I would get rid of them. I think that would decrease turnover.

This is a great idea because it seems like my co-workers are complaining about new hires within the first week of working on the floor with preceptors. It creates a negative environment and its usually what I consider to be invalid criticism (i.e., they are "just weird").

Specializes in Emergency.

I'm now a woman without a country (ie I work in my own department, but am responsible for all units in the hospital) What I do is to make sure to stop by the new staff person's area on my way through the unit. They remember me from my orientation spiel. I just smile and ask how things are going. If I recognise something was done correctly in the PI stuff I monitor, I tell them thanks...And I listen. I've found people will tell me lots of things they are afraid to share with a preceptor... I also make sure to say Hello to them in the hall ways, and include them if we are in line say- in the cafeteria, etc. I use that opportunity to say, oh Jane Newbie- she's all into that (insert football team, rock star, disease process here), Dr Jones...you and Jane should really talk about...

What gets told to me, if it is Important or something the unit needs to fix, gets back to either the charge or the manager. (ie: Susie is so worried that she can't handle things, she is thinking of quitting, and she has only been here 3 shifts.). This is not gossipy- it allows the manager to effectively fix something before it becomes a huge issue.

And yes, stories such as , "The time I exploded my patients A line pressure bag" or "the time I poured the tube feeding into the pocket of the kangaroo bag, not the actual bag...." tend to go over well.

Main problem that I see with new staff (not new grads) is that they prove they are competent nurses and then must go through several months of "proving" to be accepted as a person in a unit.

A gift might make someone feel welcome, but if no one on the unit speaks to the person, the gift won't matter a bit.

Specializes in Oncology, Medical.

I've heard more than a few times that my floor, while having a negative reputation as being chaotic and unorganized, is regarded as being quite friendly to newcomers. Basically, people will talk to you, make sure you come along with your break buddies for meals, and include you in conversations, and I think that's really important. We won't leave you to eat lunch on your own! We'll drag you with us if we must so we can introduce ourselves and tell you all our hilarious stories! We don't have so-called "cliques" that plague some floors.

I, myself, try to introduce myself to someone new and if they're working near me, I'll do my best to watch out for them, answer questions, make sure they're not drowning, etc. I remember being a new grade myself, just starting to fly solo, and drowning with one of my first assignments. Two nurses came and helped me out even though I barely knew them yet, and I've never forgotten that.

Recently, we've also started to have a short 10-minute meeting every weekday morning, and if we have new staff on, the manager will introduce them so we all know who they are, which gives us our cue to find a time in the day to introduce ourselves (it's a bit floor so you can go a whole day without seeing someone!)

thanks, nursbrooklyn, for trying to make your new hires feel welcome. If you can get those new hires to stay (as opposed to being run off), then maybe they can become mentors for future new hires. I know after my experience, when I was doing my practicum, the off moments I had that I wasn't passing meds, assessing, etc. I would try and help the techs out because I had been in that position.

Just keep in mind, not everyone who had it rough feels like they have to make it rough for the next person. Some people try and ease the rocky transition, so others don't have to experience what they did. Getting into healthcare (nurse or nursing assistant/tech/aide) is a shock in itself, no need to make it worse from peers.

A cheat sheet with important phone numbers would be great. We also have reference cards that have emergency medications on them and our standard doses that we give (code meds, but also all the meds you use to prevent a patient from going that route).

And I agree with everyone else- folks introducing themselves to me, offering me help, asking if I had any questions, etc all made me feel welcomed. I make a point to say hello and introduce myself to new hires, to include them in the chit chat before and after the shift, , and to pay attention to when they seem flustered to offer help.

Specializes in Certified Diabetes Educator.

I was a preceptor on a med-surg floor and had students put in a request to have me as their preceptor as far as 2 yrs in advance. I even had 2 soon to be grads postpone their hiring date so that they could have me. I did 2 things that these grads said made them select me.

I made a "book" that I presented to them at the beginning. This book fit in a pocket. It had photos of the doctors with the doctor's ofc number and fax number and the specialty and included the name of their APN or nurse. I included the phone numbers of the other floors and ancillary depts......central supply, nutrition services for ordering trays, fax and phone for MRI, radiology etc. I also had step by step instructions for all the skills we had to be checked off on in Skills Fair each year. Also included phone numbers of the local nursing homes so if they had to call report it was easy. These little books took me a lot of time to put together for my preceptees and I had other's want to buy them.....they were not for sale. My past preceptees always tell me that they still use their "book" even after being nurses for as many as 4 yrs. Some have had to redo their books themselves, but say they can't live without it.

The other thing I did, was that from day one until the end of their orientation; I was "there". From day one the new grad and I took all the patients and as the new grad became more and more comfortable with performing duties, I did less and less. I didn't hover towards the end, but my preceptee did not have to take time to go "hunt" for me. I was there when they needed me (in the corner, outside the door, or going to fetch something for them). Other preceptors would soon give the new grad their own patient load and tell them to come get them if they needed them. Other preceptors would tell me that the most stressful part of precepting was when the preceptee was only taking 2 or 3 patients and they had their own patient load as well. I never did it this way. My preceptee and I had the patient load. I never had a preceptee that wasn't ready to fly on his/her own and didn't fell "ready". From day one, they were in a sense taking all 6 or 7 patients and learned early on the time management skills needed. Most all the other preceptees would comment, "this is my last week of orientation and I'm not ready" and some would need extra time because they were struggling with time management and being able to take enough patient load.

Then I made sure I was available as a mentor and a continued preceptor if I was working a shift with them. They would later tell me that just knowing I would be working with them on a shift made them feel that no matter what happened that day, it would be okay. They said that this gave them confidence to handle what might arise.......they rarely needed me at all.

Hope this helps give you some ideas to brainstorm on.

Charlee

Specializes in ICU.

I think the best "gift" of all that I received as a new hire and new grad to my facility was meeting with out CNO. He welcomed me personally and told me how much he loved having new grads because of the fresh perspective that we bring to the table. He encouraged me to dive right in and join a committee or get involved in our other hospital programs, not to wait until I "had more experience". My co workers in the unit all introduced themselves and welcomed me into my new home and all took me under their wing to teach me even though I had an assigned preceptor.

Now when we have new people come to our unit I remember how great it made me feel and try to do the same for our new "family member"

We are re-vamping our preceptor/orientation program and I want to focus on making newly hired nurses feel welcome on our unit. So...

Do you do anything special to make your new hires feel welcome? Do they get welcome gifts?

Do you have any tips for creating a positive environment and socializing new hires?

Thanks!

As with nurses that float to our floors, take them by the hand and ask them if they know where supplies are, show them around, offer your assistance if they need your help. Never turn your back to them even when times get tough. It takes 2 minutes to teach or show something than to loose a great coworker. They will be your future team mate.

Specializes in Nursing Education.

When I did a new grad/hire preceptor program, once a month I would meet with my preceptor outside of work at Starbucks or similar places to conference. The unit paid for us to go out for coffee and head off problems/vent etc....This was a voluntary option for the first year. It was suppose to help with retention and help the nurse to be a success. I liked it!

Specializes in Public Health Nurse.

I am a new grad looking for a job. You want me to feel welcomed? I need no gifts, I rather have a great orientation with a preceptor that actually likes precepting. I want the unit to welcome me and help me get my feet wet and be happy to have me there.

I hope this is not too much.

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