Does anyone negotiate protected time for patient education on communicable diseases during onboarding? At our 320-bed community hospital I’m balancing 16–18 ID consults a day with contact precaution audits and vaccine counseling, and I’m trying to make the case — carefully — that dedicated hours reduce transmission and burnout; have you gotten this written into your job description or contract?
I got 0.1 FTE carved out by pitching it as “protected time” with a 90‑day pilot and clear deliverables. I tied it to onboarding completion rates, fewer isolation breaks, and a monthly summary; leadership liked the ROI angle and I cited CDC’s infection control guidance (Infection Control for Healthcare Providers | Infection Control | CDC). If FTE is a hard sell, ask for 4 hours/week during onboarding — think of it as hand hygiene for your calendar; would a pilot fly at your place?
Pitch a 60‑day “blocked hours” pilot with ROI on HAIs; sample metrics: Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs) | HAIs | CDC — thoughts?