Sam qualified from MYF college and has worked in referral hospitals for over 10 years, most recently as the Clinical Services Manager for North Downs Specialist Referral Hospital. During her time at NDSR Sam developed and oversaw the inductions of new joiners. She joined NDSR as she qualified as an RVN and also has experience teaching Veterinary Nursing.

As a Post Registration Programme Manager, Sam works with the team to support nurses who have recently qualified fulfil their dreams of working in a referral hospital. This is done by the development and implementation of a structured and immersive professional and clinical programme. Combining both off site and on-site training to support the practices with ensuring these nurses have a smooth transition into referral nursing.

Alongside her role as PRP Manager Sam also sits on the clinical board, providing a nurse presence in this area. She’s a certified RECOVER Rescuer, is part of the VNJ Editorial board and has a keen interest in quality improvement

Whilst some joiners relish the sink or swim approach, it can often leave new team members feeling anxious and with low confidence. In the worst-case scenario, it can have an impact on their desire to stay working within a company. Whilst the creation and implementation of induction programmes can be time consuming, in the long run the benefits can outweigh this initial output and be adapted for all areas of the practice. However, as a new manager this can appear daunting.

Samantha will therefore cover designing a programme of induction from the ground up – looking at induction structure, skills scanning, establishing prior knowledge and building a resource bank. She will talk through the common obstacles faced and consider ways to overcome these. With a review of successful induction case studies and suggestions for development, new managers will come away with strategies on how to build an effective induction programme in practice.