How Mentoring Others Keeps Everyone Safe 

Have you ever worked with someone who inspired you? A hardworking person can have a powerful influence on their team, especially when they are working with someone who is new to the job or to the company. As the coworker of a new employee, consider yourself the most important role model during their first few weeks. Your attitude and your respect of policies and safety procedures could save them or a patient from an accident, injury or serious illness!

Be a Safety Mentor

You know that the workplace in the health care industry is full of hazards. At , we have stressed the importance of doing your job the safe way, and we’ve given you a wealth of knowledge about the risks of the job and ways to stay safe. When you are working around others, especially if they are new to our workplace, it is your responsibility to share that knowledge to protect them, our patients and yourself. 

It may take a while for new employees to adjust to the job. Those that have never held a job like this before or were employed by an organization with a weak safety program will need considerable safety instruction and leadership. While managers will attempt to train them in workplace safety as thoroughly as possible, employees will naturally look to you for advice and information. Their early impressions of the way you value safety will set the stage for their future work habits.

Always Set a Good Example

In this important time of transition, your actions will speak louder than your words. If you cut corners when sanitizing, for example, you demonstrate to a new employee that safety is not important at . When you do not follow safety procedures, you are ultimately putting in danger new employees who are learning from and imitating you—and those whose lives are in their hands.

On the other hand, some new employees may come to  from organizations that emphasize safety like we do. In that case, their personal respect for you will grow when they see that you care about workplace safety just as much as they do.

You are aware that accidents are a reality in the health care workplace. Take care to be sure that your new coworkers are aware of the dangers, too. Doing so will keep everyone at our facility safe.

Think again of that coworker that has inspired you, and do your best to keep them in mind when you are working with new employees. Everyone will be safer when you make a good impression on a new employee, so do your part. Now is your chance to inspire!

This Safety Matters flyer is for general informational purposes only, and is not intended as medical or legal advice. © 2010, 2014, 2019, 2021 Zywave, Inc. All rights reserved.