A new nurse or aide arrives for orientation, and the computer login is not ready. The EHR account has not been created, the badge does not work and nobody knows who to call. This scenario is common, and it costs more than frustration: paid hours are wasted, orientation slips and the new employee forms a first impression of disorganization. A short, repeatable IT onboarding process prevents most of it.
IT cannot prepare in advance if it does not know someone is coming. Build the hand-off into your hiring process.
Have HR or the department head submit an onboarding request as soon as an offer is accepted, with the start date.
Include the employee name, role, department, shift, supervisor and any similar existing user to copy access from.
Aim to give IT at least five business days notice when possible.
A standard form or ticket template keeps nothing from falling through the cracks.
Grant access based on role, not on what a previous employee happened to have. Define a standard access profile for each role: RN, LPN, CNA, medication aide, dietary, housekeeping, administrative and so on.
Common items to prepare:
Network or domain account
Email account, if the role needs one
EHR account with the correct role and permissions, such as PointClickCare roles for nursing, MDS or billing
Timekeeping and payroll access
Training portal access
Access to shared folders limited to what the job requires
Phone system extension or communication app, if used
This follows the HIPAA minimum necessary standard: staff should reach only the PHI they need for their work. Document who approved each access request, since that record supports your audits.
Decide what the employee needs on day one and have it tagged and tested:
Workstation access or a device assigned from your inventory
Badge or key fob for doors and, if used, for tap-to-login
Headset, scanner or other peripherals required for the role
Mobile device or tablet, if applicable
Record the serial number and assigned user for each device. When the employee leaves, you will know exactly what to collect.
Day one is the best time to build good habits.
Have the employee set up multifactor authentication while someone from IT or a supervisor is present.
Walk through creating a strong password or passphrase and explain the facility policy on sharing credentials. Make clear that nobody should ever log in for someone else.
Share the short list of phishing red flags and how to report suspicious messages.
Have the employee sign your acceptable use and confidentiality policies.
HIPAA requires security awareness training for all workforce members, and new hires should complete it within a reasonable period of starting, ideally before they receive access to resident information. Keep the completion records.
A 20-minute walk-through often saves dozens of support calls later. Cover:
How to log in and out, including at shared workstations and med carts
How to get help: the support phone number, email address and what to say
Where to find policies and downtime forms
What to do if a screen freezes mid-task
Basic do and do not rules, such as no personal USB drives and no photos of residents on personal phones
Pair the new hire with a buddy or super user on the unit for the first week.
Touch base with the new employee and supervisor after the first week. Ask what was missing, what confused them and whether access matches their duties. Use the answers to improve your template.
The same discipline applies when someone leaves. Disable accounts on or before the last day, collect devices and badges, and remove EHR access promptly. Unused accounts are a common security gap.
UnityCare IT supports onboarding and offboarding for healthcare organizations with standard role profiles, ticket templates and account audits. If your new hires often wait on access, we can help you build a smoother process.
Call or text: 405-285-3845
New customers: start@unitycareit.com
Existing customers: support@unitycareit.com
Address: UnityCare Technologies, 2524 N Broadway Ste 554, PMB 947974, Edmond, Oklahoma 73034-4172