It can be a little daunting and you may feel, well, a little out of place.  

Fortunately, no matter how long or short your assignment, the hospital where you are working is invested in your success.  So most will do what they can to orient you and integrate you into their team as quickly as possible.

At some hospitals, you’ll participate in a formal orientation program.  These programs are helpful, but can vary from location to location in terms of quality and duration.  On some assignments, your orientation will be comprehensive, while on others, it may be brief and somewhat informal–so be prepared for all of these possibilities.

One approach to hit the ground running is to be pro-active in your information gathering.  Try using a self-orientation checklist to ensure that you know everything you need to know to be successful in your locum tenens assignment.  Our Chief Medical Officer recommends the list below as a starting point for hospitalists.  If you’re in a different specialty or work outside of a hospital, you can modify this list accordingly.

A final tip:  Don’t be afraid to ask questions. It shows interest on your part and a commitment to quality patient care.

Orientation to the Hospital
 Program Office
 ICU
 ED
 Physicians Lounge
 On-Call Room
 Medical/ Surgical Units

Orientation to the Medical Records
 CPOE  Brief version(if appropriate)
 Review of normal patient chart
 Standardized Orders – access and use
 How to retrieve old records
 MAR/Pharmacy records access
 Patient Documentation

Billing System Orientation
 Online orientation for electronic system, if available
 Paper based system explanation/workflow

Medical Director Briefing
 Job specific requirements:
      Pre-op clinic
      Code coverage
      Procedures
      “Special” admissions for hospitalist program
      Rapid Response Team
 Key medical staff relationships
 Case management interface, if appropriate
 Patient Handoff Process

Use the portable Joybee in the boardroom and family room.

A yawn-inducing Grand Rounds presentation wouldn’t be complete without the whir of a clunky 7-pound projector emitting blurry images of powerpoint slides onto a wall or whiteboard.

While the presentations themselves may never improve, the projector has gotten a serious upgrade.

At long last, there’s an affordable, truly portable projector that throws up a darned fine image — up to 80” (diagonal) in a darkened room, 40” in a room with just the shades pulled.

The Joybee GP1 from BenQ connects to a laptop and also sports slots for a USB flash drive and the iPod/iPhone (a dock is sold separately).  It’s powered by the company’s proprietary 3LED technology for clearer, brighter and more vivid images, which are even adjustable for wall colors. A 2W built-in speaker rounds out this 1.4-pound wonder.

Outside the hospital or conference room, think family fun. Thrill the kids by hooking up the Joybee to your iPhone with a movie downloaded or to a gaming console and projecting it somewhere unexpected — like poolside.

It’s portable entertainment that’s way more fun than Grand Rounds.  (BenQ, MSRP $499)