Tips for Adding a New Hire in the EP Practice
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EP LAB DIGEST. 2024;24(9):15.
Laura Flynn, ANP-C
Valley Health System, Ridgewood, New Jersey
Handling a resignation can be frightening for both for a staff member who is leaving and the manager. There can be distress and anxiety for the person departing the job, as well as trepidation and angst for the manager, who may be considering how much work it will take to search for a new candidate. However, new opportunities can be gained during this time. This article outlines a few pointers on hiring and how to have a successful preceptorship environment for new hires. Good mentoring during preceptorship can affect someone for multiple years in their career; when done well, good mentoring can create a great interactive relationship between the new hire and the training staff where open communication, team building, and career development can really take hold.
Interview Considerations
The first things to consider when hiring is determining what attributes you are looking for in potential candidates. A favorite interview question has become, “What values are important to you in life?” In the hiring process, we look for attributes that align with our practice philosophy. Family is an answer we hear a lot; this shows that they understand cohesiveness and working together to attain a common goal (even conflict resolution). Think about what you would want to hear from an interviewee and be prepared for many different answers.
“Day in the life” interviews have also recently become popular throughout our institution. During these interviews, a potential hire will come onsite to observe what the job entails, the ins and outs of a typical day, and various interactions. The goal is to expose the candidate to a typical day in the time allotted. One recommendation is to promote hyper-transparency and request radical candor during day in the life interviews.1 Hyper-transparency includes familiarizing candidates with what is on the docket for the day, including reviewing calendars and types of cases. Candidates are looking to see how various situations are managed, and managers or preceptors get insight into how the candidates think and function in a professional setting. These interviews also allow people to let down their guard, letting the manager or preceptor to get to know this person on a more personal level and help determine if they are a good fit for the team. An experienced nurse who comes to the procedural area as a new hire might quickly realize it is not the job for her if she encounters a procedure that frightens her; if she has a chance to experience a day in the life, her choice of job position might be different.
The concept of “radical candor” is to be completely upfront about the details that may change in the job over time. For example, this may include if the job includes weekends. Potential new hires should be informed if weekend shifts will be included in the future, including information on paid time off, hourly work schedules, and required meetings to ensure that there are not any surprises for the new hire.
Tips for a Successful Preceptorship
The next steps include ensuring the new hire will be prepared, confident, and comfortable in electrophysiology (EP). Ensuring that key details are clearly displayed and shared is vitally important. Preceptors cultivate critical thinking when they bring respect, flexibility, openness, trust, safety, and the willingness to engage in questioning and debate to the preceptor/student relationship.2 Therefore, our team has created an individual binder for EP advanced practice professionals (APPs) that includes basic information, telephone numbers, emails, and a list of key people. The binder has translucent plastic covers for the hire to slide the latest information in and dividers to organize the binder in a specific way. Also included are the current guidelines for atrial fibrillation treatment, device implantation, and pertinent journal articles. The binder includes staff vacation and time-off policies, a “how to” section for emails/phone calls, recommended book/journal list, and information on which meetings to attend and when, such as our APP lunch and learn gathering. The binder serves as a guidebook to all things EP, so the new hire can refer to the book with any initial questions.
When the candidate comes in for a day in the life interview, talk to them about what they know. If the candidate opts out of the day in the life interview, an email or phone call may help them feel at ease and learn more about what to expect. Preceptors can help to establish relationships with the preceptee by emphasizing the preceptor’s role in providing support, answering questions, clarifying policies and procedures, and helping the preceptee to eventually provide patient care independently.3 Establishing a clear relationship that includes open communication is key.
Importance of Electrocardiogram (ECG) Interpretation
Finally, preceptors also are an essential link between the academic program and clinical practice.2 For example, many preceptees are not educated in a stepwise manner on how to read an ECG—it is something many learn on their own. It is a vital skill to know how to read both ECG and telemetry. In the hospital setting, ECG and telemetry are evaluated first; in the office, it may be a review of a device interrogation and that day’s ECG upon seeing the patient. Therefore, we have included tips on how to read an ECG in a stepwise manner in the preceptee binder and make time with the new hire to go over reading an ECG so that it can applied in clinical practice.
When in the Hiring Process
Even though this can seem to be a daunting task, hiring and preceptorship remain highly regarded skills in the workforce. Using good hiring techniques, being straightforward and clear, and allowing the new hire to see the ins and outs of a job are valuable in the consideration for a job. This way, the new hire knows what is to be expected of them, understands the capabilities required, and what their onboarding will look like. Preceptorship is a vitally important process that requires careful planning and stewardship to make the new person feel valued, safe, and cared for in their new job.
Reviewing the Preceptorship Time
Reviewing the onboarding process is also a help for those who may be coming in the future. Feedback we have received has included that initial education is very important, and providing a way to look back at the knowledge gained in the early period of a new job is very helpful. In addition, being prepared with an educational folder/binder has made people feel comfortable and more equipped for their future. n
Disclosure: The author has completed and returned the ICMJE Form for Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest and report no conflicts of interest regarding the content herein.
References
1. Tincup W. How to create an effective “day in the life” for candidates. Indeed for Employees. Published November 21, 2019. Accessed February 15, 2024. https://www.indeed.com/lead/day-in-the-life-for-candidates
2. Lazarus J. Precepting 101: teaching strategies and tips for success for preceptors. J Midwifery Womens Health. 2016;61(S1):11-S21. doi:10.1111/jmwh.12520
3. Loughran MC, Koharchik L. Ensuring a successful preceptorship. Am J Nurs. 2019;119(5):61-65. doi:10.1097/01.NAJ.0000557917.73516.00
