Intern Passport: Orienting New Travelers to the Emergency Department

• Published in: The western journal of emergency medicine Vol. 20; no. 1; pp. 9 - 10
• Main Authors: Masneri, David A, Lefebvre, Cedric W
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States University of California Digital Library - eScholarship 01-01-2019; Department of Emergency Medicine, University of California, Irvine School of Medicine; eScholarship Publishing, University of California
• Subjects: Brief Educational Advances; Curricula; Internships
• ISSN: 1936-900X; 1936-9018; 1936-9018
• DOI: 10.5811/westjem.2018.10.39479

The objective of the Intern Passport (IP) curriculum was to implement a structured orientation for incoming interns that effectively defined and distinguished various personnel and assets within the emergency department (ED). The method of training was an on-the-job orientation that required interns to obtain "stamps" (signatures) on their passports during visits to eight "countries" (specialists) within the ED. Topics covered during the visit included introductions, tasks and capabilities, expectations, and pearls and pitfalls. Interns obtained stamps after spending 30-minute orientation visits with each country during the first four-week rotation of internship. The ED countries visited were Adult Nursing, Pediatric Nursing, Orthopedics Technician, Respiratory Therapy, Pharmacy, Psychiatry, Observation, and Radiology. Effectiveness was assessed by participant completion of an optional anonymous retrospective survey. The IP was a beneficial addition to our intern orientation curriculum. It effectively defined and distinguished various personnel and assets within the ED.