How can we support new staff? A buddy system pilot in Rehabilitation in the Home
Jocelyn White1 1South Metropolitan Health Service, Perth, WA, Australia
Abstract
Background:
Rehabilitation in the Home is a metropolitan wide, short term rehabilitation service that provides multidisciplinary care in people’s homes. As the service expanded rapidly in referral numbers and types of accepted referrals, a gap was identified in how new staff were orientated and supported. Multiple concerns were identified by staff including recruitment, retention, effectiveness of service provision and burnout. A brief literature review was conducted to examine strategies to support new staff. This information was discussed with current RITH staff and it was agreed that trialling a Buddy system was warranted. The research question was “What are staff’ perceptions of the impact of a buddy system in supporting new staff?”
Methods and Findings:
Occupational Therapist and Coordinators were consulted in the development of a buddy system. This presentation will outline the implementation of a buddy system for all new Occupational Therapy staff. Results of a preliminary survey indicated support for the buddy system, along with suggestions for alterations. Barriers and enablers to implementation to a new system in a busy community setting will be discussed. These have been integrated and the project continues to be refined. Since commencing the buddy system, several other initiatives have commenced to examine and adjust process to better support new, and existing, staff. Findings from this quality improvement project are likely to be relevant to other multidisciplinary teams who share resources and systems, but are geographically diverse, and needing to respond to increased staffing pressures and contemporary health issues.
Biography
Jocelyn is an Occupational Therapist with extensive experience in neurorehabilitation. She works in a clinical leadership role within Rehabilitation in the Home, an early supported discharge service in Perth and Mandurah. She holds a Masters Clinical Rehabilitation Neurological Occupational Therapy and Advanced Diploma in Leadership and Management. She led and published a pilot study on ecological cognitive assessment in stroke and has published research on upper limb rehabilitation. She is a reviewer for the Stroke Foundation clinical guidelines and an invited representative of the WA ABI Advisory Group.