In today’s labor market, it is imperative to properly train new technicians. This onboarding process requires time and dedication. With that in mind, BSM Associate Consultant Brittney Irwin provides three simple onboarding tips in the video above to help set the practice and its new technicians up for success.
LOOKING FOR MORE ONBOARDING ASSISTANCE? BSM offers several training resources, including our Certified Eyecare Professional (CEP) program and BSM Connection’s eLearning Center and Technician Training Outlines. Also, starting in February 2023, BSM, in partnership with ASOA, will be hosting Coding Consult Live! workshops to further educate staff.
Video Transcript
Hi, and welcome to this installment of BSM Consulting’s Vlog. My name is Brittney Irwin, and I am an Associate Consultant within the Billing, Coding, and Compliance Division here at BSM. I have over a decade of experience in ophthalmology, most recently working as the Clinical Director of a multispecialty group. I love helping others find their passion within our industry, so today, we are going to discuss three successful ways to ensure you have the best onboarding process for new technicians.
In our current hiring culture, it’s imperative to make sure we get clinical staff involved and invested from Day 1. Typically, you may have new staff shadow a trainer on their first day; however, to get new trainees engaged, have them practice “calling the patient back” by introducing themselves and verifying the patient’s date of birth or last name. This small act of actively participating in the patient’s care can help create a sense of purpose from Day 1.
Most practices have an onboarding protocol; however, when was the last time it was reviewed and updated? To create buy-in, allow all staff to be included in the process of updating training protocols and clinical expectations.
Sometimes, as senior clinical staff, we don’t remember what it was like in those first few weeks learning how to tech. It’s challenging. New information, new colleagues, not to mention learning the “new language” of ophthalmology. To ease the barrier of entry, develop a set list of protocols with pictures and step-by-step processes. For example, how does Dr. Retina prefer her mayo stand setup for injections? This can help take the guesswork out for new staff and allow them to feel confident in their work.
As far as updating expectations, hand out what you currently have in place and ask each staff member to review and edit. This small gesture allows staff to feel as though their input matters, plus staff “in the trenches” usually have valuable insight that managers or administrators might lack. Once a final list of expectations is decided on, have everyone on the team read, sign, and date so there are no misunderstandings.
Finally, practice the method of “see one, do one, teach one.” As we discussed earlier, we want trainees feeling involved from the beginning. Allow them to rotate training sessions with different senior staff to get real-time feedback and opportunities to be taught or told information in different ways. Once trainees seem to have conquered a new skill, allow them to teach a senior tech what they’ve learned. This will further instill the skill and help trainees feel secure in their abilities.
Developing and implementing a technician checklist to shadow trainees who have been working in the clinic for a period of time can be a really valuable way to evaluate progress. Do they understand the value of a good chief complaint? Are they documenting vision accurately? How much time are they spending on certain parts of the exam? Shadowing new staff allows you to understand the parts of their training that you need to spend more time on, or it might also indicate the onboarding protocols that need further refining.
If you are still feeling overwhelmed with onboarding, lean on the tools, resources, and courses that are readily available from BSM, such as our BSM Connection eLearning Center and Certified Eyecare Professional program. They are valuable in creating a blended training program that incorporates various modalities for different learner preferences and extends the trainer. The New Technician Training Outlines found on BSM Connection also create a clear pathway to facilitate training in the areas of ocular anatomy, essential parts of the technician work up, and how to effectively communicate with patients.
Alexander Graham Bell was quoted as saying, “Before anything else, preparation is the key to success.” As you prepare to hire new staff, think about implementing some of these key strategies to ensure a more successful onboarding process. If you’d like to hear more about our training opportunities or have additional questions on how to implement these tools, contact BSM to discuss further.
