Critical Care Physician Onboarding Checklist

Critical Care Physician Onboarding Process

Are you looking for help setting up a staff orientation process so that when your new Critical Care Physician starts their role, they can learn about their responsibilities and your company as quickly as possible? Whether you’re keen to use buddy onboarding, want to automate your Healthcare onboarding experience or just need an onboarding checklist for your new Critical Care Physician, you’re in the right place. We’ve put together a sample Critical Care Physician onboarding checklist below and have created onboarding templates & resources to help.

Critical Care Physician Onboarding Checklist

1. Credentialing and Licensing: This task involves obtaining and maintaining the necessary credentials and licenses required to practice as a critical care physician. The physician themselves, with support from the hospital’s credentialing department, is responsible for completing the required paperwork, submitting necessary documents, and ensuring compliance with regulatory bodies.

2. Orientation and Hospital Policies: New critical care physicians need to undergo an orientation program to familiarize themselves with the hospital’s policies, procedures, and protocols. This task is typically performed by the hospital’s human resources department or a designated orientation coordinator who provides an overview of the hospital’s mission, values, and expectations, as well as specific policies related to patient care, safety, and documentation.

3. Introduction to the Critical Care Team: It is crucial for a new critical care physician to meet and establish relationships with the multidisciplinary critical care team, including nurses, respiratory therapists, pharmacists, and other healthcare professionals. This task is facilitated by the critical care unit manager or a designated team leader who arranges introductions, provides an overview of team roles and responsibilities, and fosters collaboration and effective communication.

4. Familiarization with Electronic Medical Records (EMR): Critical care physicians must become proficient in using the hospital’s electronic medical record system to document patient encounters, order tests, and review results. The hospital’s health information management department or IT support team typically provides training and ongoing support to ensure physicians can navigate the EMR efficiently and effectively.

5. Clinical Privileges and Protocols: Critical care physicians must understand the hospital’s clinical privileges and protocols specific to the critical care unit. This task involves reviewing and signing off on the hospital’s critical care policies, guidelines, and protocols, which are typically provided by the medical staff office or the critical care unit director.

6. Equipment and Technology Training: Critical care physicians need to be trained on the use of specialized equipment and technology used in the critical care setting, such as ventilators, hemodynamic monitors, and bedside ultrasound machines. This training is usually conducted by biomedical engineering staff, respiratory therapists, or other experienced critical care physicians.

7. Emergency Response and Code Blue Training: Critical care physicians must be prepared to respond to emergencies and participate in code blue situations. This task involves attending mandatory training sessions conducted by the hospital’s code blue team or the critical care education department to learn about emergency protocols, resuscitation techniques, and team dynamics during critical events.

8. Quality Improvement and Patient Safety Initiatives: Critical care physicians play a vital role in ensuring patient safety and quality improvement within the critical care unit. This task involves attending meetings, participating in quality improvement projects, and staying updated on evidence-based practices. The hospital’s quality improvement department or the critical care unit’s quality improvement committee typically oversees these initiatives.

9. Continuing Medical Education (CME) Requirements: Critical care physicians must fulfill ongoing CME requirements to maintain their medical licensure and stay updated with the latest advancements in critical care medicine. This task involves identifying relevant CME opportunities, attending conferences, completing online courses, and documenting CME credits. The physician is responsible for tracking and reporting their CME activities to the hospital’s medical staff office or the relevant licensing board.

10. Mentoring and Professional Development: New critical care physicians benefit from having a mentor who can provide guidance, support, and professional development opportunities. This task involves pairing the new physician with an experienced critical care physician or a senior faculty member who can offer advice, share knowledge, and facilitate career growth. The hospital’s medical education department or the critical care division director typically oversees the mentoring program

Setting Up Your Employee Onboarding Process

From reading through the items in the example Critical Care Physician checklist above, you’ll now have an idea of how you can apply best practices to getting your new Critical Care Physician up to speed and working well in your Healthcare team. Scroll up to see the link to our onboarding templates & resources or get in touch to discuss getting help setting up your systems and processes in this area.