Development and Pilot Testing of Children's National Hospital's New Faculty Orientation Program

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Health Professions Education
• Faculty Development

Background:

• New faculty orientation (NFO) programs are crucial for faculty satisfaction, collaboration, promotion, retention, and academic success.
• A significant gap in institutional-level orientation was identified among recently hired faculty at Children's National Hospital (CNH).
• Leadership interviews highlighted the need for NFO, emphasizing topics like promotion and provider wellness.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop, pilot, and evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of a New Faculty Orientation (NFO) program at Children's National Hospital (CNH).
• To assess the impact of the NFO program on faculty understanding of institutional resources, benefits, and operations.
• To gather feedback for program improvement and establish metrics for long-term faculty success.

Main Methods:

• A needs assessment was conducted through faculty surveys and leadership interviews.
• The NFO program was developed and piloted over three years (FY22-FY24), with increasing participation.
• Program feedback was collected using REDCap surveys post-meetings and program completion.

Main Results:

• A needs assessment confirmed strong support for an NFO program from CNH faculty and leaders.
• Participation rates increased from 27/38 in FY22 to 69/95 in FY24.
• Participants reported the program was helpful, enhancing knowledge of institutional resources and providing valuable networking opportunities.

Conclusions:

• The CNH New Faculty Orientation program is feasible and acceptable to faculty.
• The program effectively addresses faculty needs, improving understanding of institutional operations and fostering connections.
• The NFO program shows promise for enhancing faculty satisfaction, promotion, and retention.