Strategies for effective intern orientation

Abstract

The challenges of the transition from medical student to intern are well documented. Suggested solutions include student assistantships and the shadowing of first-year doctors. In this toolbox article the authors consider the role of orientation as an aid to help newly qualified doctors settle into their roles and responsibilities. Many of us will have experience of orientation activities when moving jobs, locations or departments. No-one should be expected to hit the ground running when joining a new organisation-adapting to a new culture and getting to know colleagues are important tasks before taking on a full workload. But what is the most effective model for an orientation process? As with other educational activities, passive rather than active learning is not suitable. This toolbox article introduces the topic of intern orientation by describing what the authors have found, in their experience and from intern feedback, to be important for work readiness. They discuss the underlying principles and components of their own successful orientation package. Interactive learning is important to promote participant engagement. Simulation based on clinical tasks and teamwork provides hands-on training. The involvement of peers-the current cohort of residents-is

The strategy to develop newly joined radiographers in a COVID-19 world: a curated orientation programme

“…4 Essentially, the orientation programme should provide the resources, build relationships, and provide necessary training for newly joined radiographers to be successful in the radiography clinical environment. 4 As highlighted by Lui et al(2020) 20 , the duration of the orientation should consider the availability of resources while balancing the educational needs of the newly joined radiographers and their service commitment. In addition, it was important for the orientation programme to cover elements of Bauer's four levels of onboarding: compliance, clarification, culture, and connection; adopting the proactive onboarding strategy to increase preparedness of the radiographers.…”

“…Clearly, there was a need to mitigate the lack of readiness on the first day of work by developing an effective and robust orientation programme. 20 In recent times, reports of negative psychological impacts of the pandemic on practicing healthcare workers were not unheard of. [23][24][25] Hence, it was of utmost importance to explore the challenges, concerns, and emotions of the newly graduated radiographers who must accelerate their transition from student radiographer to qualified radiographers.…”

“…30 This was a great opportunity for the newly joined radiographers to receive real world advice and mentoring while feeling reassured and safe, supporting their characteristics of being pragmatic and having increased risk for isolation, anxiety, insecurity, and depression. 20,30,31 The role of the facilitators was additionally important. The session had to be moderated to ensure the balance between realism about the challenges ahead and confidence that the radiographers would navigate through the demands of the training amid the pandemicdinfusing optimism yet bounded by realism.…”

Hopes and fears: A qualitative analysis of the intern perspective at the start of EM residency

“…Much of the existing literature on the transition from medical school to residency explores “boot camp” courses offered at the end of medical school to reinforce knowledge and build skills needed to begin residency, 3 , 4 with the bulk of the existing literature on residency orientation curricula also focusing on medical knowledge and skill‐based content. 2 , 5 , 6 Beyond the acquisition of knowledge and skills, there are numerous stressors inherent to this transition, with data to suggest that resident health and well‐being may decline throughout intern year. 7 , 8 , 9 Additionally, medical students transitioning to residency come from various backgrounds and have inherent differences in knowledge, skills, and attitudes.…”

Implementation and Evaluation of a Trainee Orientation Manual in an Intensive Care Unit Rotation

“…Faculty availability, inconsistencies in orientation material covered by different faculty members, longitudinal refresher needs, and time restrictions could further hinder a practical rotation orientation. The implementation of an ICU manual could rely on seasoned trainees to provide continuous direction to inexperienced trainees (i.e., peer-assisted instruction and supervision [ 23 ]) using a comprehensive yet consistent orientation information resource. This approach expands the pool of supervisors, overcoming the challenges of a time-restricted faculty and enhancing trainees’ rotation learning environment.…”