Developing an Allied Health New Starter Program for Fiona Stanley Fremantle Hospital Group (FSFHG) 2022
Kate Fraser1, Katrine Nehyba11Fiona Stanley Hospital, Murdoch, Western Australia, Australia
Abstract
Developing an Allied Health New Starter Program for Fiona Stanley Fremantle Hospital Group (FSFHG) 2022
Background
Allied Health New Graduate programs had been successfully delivered at other hospitals. Aside from an initial IT orientation and an individual departmental orientation, New Starters at FSFHG did not have any specific extra support. A sample of 2021 new starters was interviewed, and this revealed some gaps in the orientation process. New starters felt unsupported, did not know how to navigate some of the Health Department processes and were unclear on what was expected of them.
Method
The Allied Health Education Team, in consultation with the 9 Heads of Department and a small group of New starters from 2021, developed a six-part education series to be delivered fortnightly as a rolling program. Topics included:
Understanding Expectations, Reflective Practice, Navigating WA Health Processes, Collaborative Practice and Multi-disciplinary Teamwork, Discharge Planning and Wellbeing.
Results
In the first six months of the program, there were 79 new starters. The program ran twice in this six-month period. There were 73 individual attendances at the workshops. 100% of survey respondents would recommend the program to other new starters. There was a trend towards feeling more part of the Allied Health Team and knowing what was expected of them.
Discussion
This study demonstrates that an inter-professional New Starter Program can have a positive influence in the onboarding experience of new staff. The program continues to run in a rolling format, less often to enhance the networking component.
Biography
Kate and Katrine are Allied Health Educators at Fiona Stanley Hosptial in Perth, Western Australia. Both have a background of clinical practice in Physiotherapy, Leadership and Education.