Connecting the DOTs in Clinical Orientation: The Daily Orientation Tracker

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Healthcare Communication
• Clinical Onboarding

Background:

• New nurses in acute care settings often have multiple preceptors, leading to potential communication gaps.
• Traditional orientation tracking methods rely on paper-based systems, which can be inefficient and disjointed.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce the Daily Orientation Tracker (DOT), a novel tool designed to streamline new nurse orientation.
• To describe the development and implementation process of the DOT.
• To present empirical data on the success of the DOT in new nurse orientation.

Main Methods:

• Development of the Daily Orientation Tracker (DOT) by preceptors and nurse educators.
• Implementation of the DOT as an accessible, user-friendly format for tracking orientation progress.
• Collection and analysis of data to evaluate the empirical success of the DOT.

Main Results:

• The DOT provides an accessible and user-friendly format for tracking new nurse orientation progress.
• The DOT has been found to be successful in facilitating the orientation of new nurses in acute care settings.
• Implementation of the DOT improved communication among preceptors and nurse educators.

Conclusions:

• The Daily Orientation Tracker (DOT) is an effective tool for enhancing communication and success in new nurse orientation.
• The DOT represents a successful transition from traditional paper-based tracking to a more efficient digital format.
• Further adoption of the DOT can improve the onboarding experience for newly hired nurses.