At the end of 2013, DaVita Healthcare Partners Inc.’s DaVita Kidney Care operating division decided to revamp the onboarding process for new nurses and patient care technicians (PCTs). The existing onboarding process was complicated, lengthy, and outdated. Teammate satisfaction with training was low (4.17 out of 5). Equally important, there was general confusion about the steps required to onboard a new hire.
Since 50 percent of new teammates do not have previous dialysis experience, onboarding is an extensive, incredibly important process. In order to reach the goal of “Clinical Leader,” all teammates need proper onboarding so they can provide the highest quality patient care.
Program Details
DaVita created a video series for applicants interested in nurse or PCT positions. Once teammates are hired, they can continue their education and onboarding through the “Day in the Life” Website built in SharePoint. This Website contains links, videos, and the entire onboarding curriculum broken down into bite-sized learning modules. Teammates have complete curricula auto-populated into their learning management system (LMS) accounts, so they can easily track course status. In addition, the new onboarding model utilizes full-time trainers to ensure teammates get dedicated and focused training and can confidently perform dialysis.
Results
In 2014, DaVita onboarded more than 5,000 clinical teammates around the world. The new onboarding process resulted in:
- Reduced onboarding time: The streamlined onboarding process reduces the onboarding time for a new teammate from 10 to eight weeks, thus reducing training costs, as well.
- Improved training results: The enhanced onboarding program better prepares teammates for their new roles. After completing the pilot program, teammates were asked to rate their comfort level with performing dialysis on a scale of 1 to 5. Teammates who completed the updated program rated their confidence level at 4.38 on average, compared to an average 4.08 score submitted by participants of the old program. In addition, managers validated that their teammates were more prepared to perform dialysis. Managers whose teams went through the new program were 14 percent more confident in their teammates’ abilities than managers whose teammates completed the old program.
