Should Orientation Be Mandatory?

You must decide if the new physician orientation will be mandatory. The penetration of your message in the physician staff will increase as orientation moves from “voluntary” to “an expectation of new physicians” to “mandatory”. The remainder of this chapter will provide an orientation which I used at St. Vincent Hospital using the Ascension Health Mission Statement. You will see easily how to adapt the story of your own hospital and incorporate your mission statement. This orientation method is designed for a small group of 6 – 15 physicians. Larger groups can be oriented with this method by creating several smaller groupings for the discussions and letting the small groups bring key points to the larger group. Smaller facilities may orient only one or two physicians each year. In that situation, the physician champion, a chaplain and a potential mentor could cover the same material during a shared breakfast. You might groom some of the physician staff to be mentors particularly for new physicians.

What to include

What should you include in the orientation? One philosophy is to provide a deluge of everything you need to know, introduce physicians to key administrators and provide access to computers and lockers. For the physician who is new to town, living out of a suitcase and confused about where to park, the deluge will only add to fear and uncertainty. Consider rather providing a few critical points of orientation: Peer contacts The story of the hospital Focusing the new physician’s personal purpose Patient’s need for purpose Resources for the new physician’s personal development and self care Resources for their medical practice

Orientation - Why Bother

You may not have an orientation program at all at your hospital; the Army has basic training. We imagine that physicians come to the medical staff completely trained because we diligently check their credentials before admitting them to the staff. Your new physicians may be completely competent in the practice of medicine, but they are rookies in your hospital, with all of the fear and uncertainty that being a rookie entails. Many follow role models from medical school and training programs. Some eagerly anticipate substantial changes in their lives as they enter practice. Other new staff physicians may have been in practice for long periods of time at other institutions. They may be joining the staff with little enthusiasm under pressure from partners. They may have served at for-profit hospitals. They may believe that expressions of faith are inappropriate in practice. Some have a strong personal faith and want to express their faith in their work. Orientation is the first and best opportunity to align their goals with the hospital mission, allay their uncertainties and find appropriate models for them.