Orientation and Competency Assessment of Contract Employees, Students, Volunteers and Travelers Randy Benson WHS Healthcare Quality Service May 19, 2015

Orientation and Assessment Hospitals are responsible for a proper orientation and competency assessment of everyone who works in the facility. That includes: Employees Students Volunteers Travelers Locums Contract Employees

Orientation and Assessment Managers are responsible for assuring that all new workers are properly oriented to their job and the facility’s safety processes, and for assessing the new worker’s initial competency Human Resources is responsible for providing documentation of the competency of everyone who works in the facility The law does not hold contract employees, students, volunteers, travelers or locums physicians to a different standard

Orientation and Assessment Every facility must have a system in place for properly orienting and training transient workers. This applies to anyone who works more than four hours consecutively in any week. How do you accomplish that which seems impossible? In example; how do you provide safety training to members of your medical staff? How do you know that your contracted biomed staff are competent and can work safely?

Orientation and Assessment Developing Training Materials for Contract Employees, etc. is not easy but must to be done. Safety training materials should include the following: Fire Safety Electrical Safety Worker Right to Know Safe Medical Device Act Body Mechanics – Injury Prevention Standard Precautions Hazardous Waste Disposal HIPAA Compliance

Orientation and Assessment Training Documentation is required Observation of contract employee job specific competency is required All Contracted Services Therapies Biomed Engineering Paper shredding technician Remote Pharmacy Services

Orientation and Assessment Let’s Look At An Example of a Safety Education Orientation Packet and Competency Document Considerations: Very Short Timeframe for Orientation Unable to observe competency before starting work Must provide documentation of education Useful for physician and traveling nurse competency education Includes both generic and facility specific information

Orientation and Assessment Orientation Packet Contents Fire Safety: Your code for fire response Evacuation Routes Fire Extinguisher and Fire Alarm Locations Proper Fire Extinguisher Use Electrical Safety: General requirements of the electrical safety program Worker Right to Know: Location of hazardous chemicals, M.S.D.S. forms and spill kits

Orientation and Assessment Safe Medical Device Act: Recognition of faulty electrical equipment and how to remove it from service. This is an FDA requirement of healthcare facilities. Body Mechanics/Safe Patient Lifting: The facility is a participant in the state mandated safe patient lifting program. Outline how the facility and staff comply with the program requirements

Orientation and Assessment Infection Prevention and Control/Standard Precautions: Outline the requirements for all employees, not just clinical staff Provide details of all aspects of the program Code Sheet Review: list all codes and sufficient detail so that new (transient) workers know what to do when they hear codes paged

Orientation and Assessment HIPAA Confidentiality: program the requirements of the facility’s program and consequences for violation of the HIPAA confidentiality standards. Resources: Provide information about resources available for new employees (e.g. who do I ask about infection prevention issues, faulty equipment, telephone operation, chemical spills, etc.).

Orientation and Assessment Hazardous Waste Disposal: How are dirty, contaminated or hazardous materials properly disposed of (e.g. linens, blood soaked gauze, suction canisters, IV tubing, etc.).

Orientation and Assessment Documentation Proper documentation of safety orientation and competency assessment are mandatory (if you did not document it, it did not happen) See sample attestation form Medical Staff compliance with safety education requirements

Orientation and Assessment QUESTIONS?

Orientation and Assessment Randy Benson Healthcare Quality Service Consultant