Staffing: Before You Make That Job Offer

After the grind of the interview process, it's exciting when you find a nurse who will be a great addition to your team. You're hoping the person will blend well with your culture, be accepted by all and serve as an asset for your facility. But in addition to the excitement, there's another component to the hiring process. Bringing on new staff adds a number of time-consuming tasks to a busy surgical facility leader's workload. To help, here is a list of critical onboarding tasks as well as some tips to make the whole process easier.

• License check. Make sure the candidate holds an active nurses license without any discipline issues before you make an employment offer. Nursys (osmag.net/7tRTnG) is a national database for verification of nurse licensure, discipline and practice privileges.
• Criminal background check. Similarly, you want to perform a criminal background check beforehand. I've used Sunshine Research (osmag.net/7hPBNo) and have been very happy with the ease and timeliness they offer — a 48-hour turnaround time on all criminal searches ordered — but there's no shortage of dependable vendors available. Do a little research and find the right background company for your needs.
• OIG exclusion check. Do a quick exclusion check on the Office of Inspector General (OIG) website (osmag.net/8qSTPr) to ensure your new staffer hasn't been excluded from participation in Medicare, Medicaid and other Federal healthcare programs by the OIG.
• Form I-9. Make sure to complete an I-9 before bringing new staff on board. Form I-9 is used to verify the identity and employment authorization of individuals hired in the United States. Both employees and employers (or authorized representatives of the employer) must complete the form. Depending on your facility, you may need to use E-Verify (osmag.net/U8qEVx) or just document the items that were presented to complete the task. Either way, it's a necessary step prior to employment. Tip: Send the new employee a welcome email with the I-9 list of acceptable documents, so they come in ready to complete the form.

Once you've extended a formal offer and your candidate has accepted, you'll want to include these bullet points in a welcome email.

• BLS/ACLS/PALS cards. New staff must bring in the appropriate certifications, or better yet, have them scan and send the card information in advance. I use an app called CamScanner (osmag.net/hrGS8B), which lets you take a picture on your phone of cards and documents to send as a PDF. It's great for new hires who don't have a copier or scanner at home.
• Health requirements (TB, Hep B, flu). Remind new staff to bring the most current tuberculosis skin test (PPD) result to save having to be re-tested, or negative chest X-ray if they test positive. If you require proof of Hepatitis B or flu vaccination, let them know about those requirements as well.
• Dress the part. Finally, ask the new hire for her scrub sizes and preferences, as well as any name tag label requirements. It will be nice to have those items ready and waiting on their first day. If they will work in the OR, address any dress code items in the welcome email (jewelry, nails, undershirts, foot attire, cloth caps) to save time and answer potential questions before the new person starts.

Internal communications

Here are a few key internal items to check off your to-do list.

• Send an intro email. Just before the new hire's start date, email all your physicians and staff to let them know about the addition to your staff and encourage those folks to drop a warm welcome into the person's inbox. It will save on intro time and make the new team member feel more welcome.
• Create a detailed orientation checklist and outline. A good orientation outline ensures you cover everything. Consider including how the facility documents, how to use the phone and copier, and how lunches and breaks work. Make sure the new team member completes any missing new hire paperwork before filing it away in the HR file.
• Complete education and compliance training ASAP. Make sure that all regulatory training requirements are met within 30 days of hire. There are organizations that offer web-based, self-paced training for staff, including ours (osmag.net/Km8KQv).
• Don't forget malignant hyperthermia training. If you use triggering anesthetic agents, MH training needs to be completed prior to patient care. The Malignant Hyperthermia Association of the United States (mhaus.org) offers great resources if your anesthesia provider doesn't have formal training.
• Assign a preceptor. Make sure the new staffer has an assigned "go-to" person for questions and support (that person could very well be you!). Even if they are training with multiple people in different areas, having one person to turn to will make them feel more secure as they learn the facility and the culture.

Don't miss your chance

Remember, you only have one chance to make a good impression on new hires and ensure their transition to the team is as smooth as possible. The more effective your onboarding process, the better the chances your new staff member becomes the asset to your facility you hoped she would be. OSM