January 17, 2008
She’s not a cop — she’s the ‘MD coach’
Donna Henderson’s e-mail, mdcoach@u.washington.edu, provides a clue about her new role at UW Medical Center. As quality liaison/ MD coach, Henderson, a registered nurse, serves as a mentor and coach for medical residents. It’s a job she’s held since last July.
Henderson attends daily rounds with residents and observes their interactions with patients and families. She focuses on administrative duties and clinical processes (hand hygiene, procedures for gloving and gowning) that medical residents need to master before leaving UWMC. Henderson also provides feedback on medical record documentation, including use of medical abbreviations and completion of medication reconciliation and consent forms.
“I’m not a cop,” Henderson said, with a chuckle, when describing her role. It’s similar to teaching someone how to play basketball, she said. “You can’t take the magnificent shot until you know how to dribble.”
UWMC Medical Director Ed Walker created the MD coach concept last year. “We have orientation challenges posed by the monthly turnover with residents,” he said. With the new residents come mishaps in coding and errors in documentation. When Henderson joins morning rounds, the MD coach helps residents “be really good doctors and helps prepare them for their own practice,” said Walker.
During rounds, Henderson observes residents’ interpersonal skills. “Are they talking with the patient or about the patient, and are they respecting patients’ privacy? Are patients’ dignity and modesty protected?” she said. Before she leaves each day, she prepares a report that covers subjective and objective sides of rounds. The report is shared with the team, attending physicians, Walker and other executive team and Center for Clinical Excellence leaders.
Henderson said her job is interactive. Residents may pose a question that evolves into a policy or process change. One of the residents recently asked whether there were alternatives to the hand gel being used. The MD coach referred the issue to Infection Control, and an alternative product was piloted last month.
Henderson also said she hopes to expand residents’ skill sets beyond the textbook. “School can be theoretical and this is the real world,” she said. “It’s not as glamorous as putting in a central line or going into surgery,” but it’s equally important.
As she explores the new role and sees the position evolve, Henderson said there is a “wonderful consensus” that this is helpful for residents. “It’s not just me. It’s a team effort.”
The MD coach is also pleased that she landed this role at UWMC. “I tell people I have the best job in the world,” she said with a smile.
