RVH STAFF TAKE A WALK

On Tuesday, May 12th staff at Royal Victoria Hospital will be “switching shoes” in an attempt to gain a better understanding of what their colleagues in different departments experience during their workday.

With more than 2,000 employees working in a busy hospital it is not unusual for people to be totally unaware of what their neighbour down the hall does during the day, or even the function of certain departments.

The Walk in My Shoes program will give RVH employees an opportunity to shadow a fellow staff member for a four hour shift. Staff will learn about the challenges of a different workplace setting and the duties performed by a colleague in another department. Staff may be asked to lend a hand, but they will not be inappropriately involved in patient care or do work outside of their scope of practice.

“The ‘Walk in My Shoes’ program is a way to build team spirit as colleagues gain insight into the everyday challenges of their peers and how their skill and talents contribute to the organization,” says Sharon Partridge, RVH’s Manager of RVH Employee Engagement. “They will discover how their actions impact on other departments. This will also assist staff to develop an educational plan for future career opportunities when our expansion is complete.”

Sharon Johnson, is one of more than 20 participants currently enrolled in the program. Johnston, who works in RVH’s Environmental Services department, has requested to spend her four hours in RVH’s Corporate Communication Department.

“Through the provision of relevant and timely information, the Corporate Communications team promotes the health and well-being of the individual and the community, both within the RVH and the greater Simcoe-Muskoka region,” says Johnson. “I want to see how it's done.”