During the on-boarding of new staff Resident Care Technicians (RCT) receive extensive training, Karen Webb, Nursing Orientation Coordinator, recognized that new employees could use further support and assistance after they start working. She felt that they could use a helpful hand to further welcome them onto the care team as well as ramp up their already good care to the higher standards Bethany Village is known for.
Thus, the Bethany Village mentor program was designed by Karen in September 2013. There are 12 mentors with over 105 years of combined Bethany Village RCT experience. The program assigns a mentor to each new RCT.
The mentor takes the new RCT under their wing, welcoming them into the caregiving team by providing a friend right away that they can go to for any questions they may have. The mentors focus on teaching the new RCT person directed care for each resident. That care given would be the same care that we or our family members would like to receive. Often different care scenarios are reviewed and discussed to carryout continuous improvement.
“Our RCT mentors, under the direction of Karen Webb, are tasked with the important role of imparting Faithful Caring skills in our new staff,” explains Administrator John Brinkman. “I am very proud of the work they have done.”
Karen Webb shares, “The mentors have proven to be a very effective team that is almost like a family.” Karen continues, “I trust the mentors to take on an even larger role that also helps to ensure a positive morale, improve employee satisfaction and reduce staff turnover.” The mentors create positive solutions for day-to-day challenges.
