Groote Schuur Hospital MG Nursery Staff Onboarding

Internship marks two years of significant growth, transition, and reward. The shift from medical school to registered doctor can feel exciting and overwhelming, and this resource is designed to support you through your month in neonatology.

For registrars, medical officers, fellows, students, and other rotating staff, this orientation also provides a shared overview of the unit's governance, communication channels, clinical expectations, and digital resources.

For interns, neonatology is a stand-alone rotation, separate from the two-month paediatrics placement, with dedicated orientation documents, protocols, and resources. We are a supportive department, and you are not alone as you navigate a new workplace, system, and learning style. To ease this transition, no one is on call on their first day.

We are committed to welcoming all new staff as integral members of the team. Adhering to MGN governance principles, including appropriate communication channels, infection prevention and control, and clinical protocols, provides structure and protects you as a junior doctor while supporting safe neonatal care.

Our goal is to help you meet your clinical objectives in a supportive environment while building capable, resilient professionals who are passionate about their work. Meeting your training needs is our responsibility, so please reach out with questions. With time and practice, you will find your footing.

Wi-Fi is coordinated for all new staff as all orientation and governance resources are digital. Staff should use a UCT email address to access Eduroam on personal devices, which MGN facilitates.

The unit promotes open, respectful communication and maintains an open-door policy. Confidential discussions and debriefing can be arranged with senior staff. Staff should engage early if clinical, interpersonal, or other challenges arise.

Access Health and Wellbeing Resources

MGN has a zero-tolerance approach to bullying and is committed to fairness, inclusivity, psychological safety, and mutual respect for staff, babies, and families.

The clinical workday commences at 08:00. All staff, except the clinician allocated to theatre duties, must be present and logged into handover before this time.

The clinician allocated to theatre duties should arrive by 07:50 to relieve their post-call colleague and check the resuscitation trolley before the start of the day.

• Perform hand hygiene before entering the neonatal unit.
• If entering from the furthest side from NICU, repeat hand hygiene before the next double doors.
• Use alcohol spray before any contact with a baby.
• No nail polish of any kind on hands.
• No jewellery below elbows, except a single band wedding or engagement ring.
• Sleeves must remain above elbows while in clinical areas.
• Avoid daily examinations of well babies.
• Masks are no longer indicated for routine use.

Protocols standardise care, support clinical decision-making, and align practice with current evidence. Staff should use formal unit guidelines and the Neonatal Guide application as appropriate.

NeoBuddy is a supplementary educational and orientation support tool. It does not replace the Neonatal Guide application, formal unit guidelines, or senior clinical escalation.

Rotating staff are generally assigned to High Care, Pre-KMC/KMC, Theatre, and Postnatal wards. Rotational exposure supports clinical assessment, procedural skills, communication, documentation, and multidisciplinary collaboration.

Working hours, commuted overtime, calls, and weekend allocations should be reviewed according to each staff member's role, contract, training requirements, and the monthly roster.

Access on-call and ward round responsibilities

A paediatric registrar is on call every night. There is either one medical officer or one rotating doctor on call per night with a registrar.

Weekend and public holiday ward rounds require appropriate cover for postnates, theatre, and Pre-KMC/KMC. Weekend post-call arrangements aim to facilitate timely departure after clinical responsibilities have been completed. On weekdays, staff are not expected to remain post-call for rounds after the 08:00 handover.

Theatre cover is assigned to assist with complex cases and support resuscitation during the golden minute. The person should be available before birth when additional assistance is required.

Patient care should never be compromised by clinical workload. Escalate to the on-call consultant when the team cannot attend a difficult delivery, when simultaneous resuscitations occur, or when workload exceeds safe clinical capacity.

Access assistance at deliveries guidance

Neonatology is treated as a stand-alone rotation or placement. Leave is governed by neonatal rotation policies and applicable HPCSA, labour, and institutional guidance. Leave arrangements must preserve continuity of care and training requirements.

Absenteeism and sick leave must be managed according to the procedures outlined in the orientation documents. Staff should notify the designated supervisor promptly if they are unwell or unable to attend work.

Attendance at meetings is expected unless a staff member is post-call, managing an emergency, resuscitating a baby, or involved in a delivery. Apologies should be provided to the meeting chair where possible.

Logbooks and timesheets should be completed before leaving the department. Relevant staff resources under the Neonatal Digital Hub should be reviewed before presenting logbooks for sign-off.

Access staff resources

• Role-specific responsibilities
• Core Neonatal Competencies
• Clinical Governance and Duties

Weekday handovers are conducted via Zoom at 08:00. Zoom handovers do not occur on weekends or public holidays. Staff should be identifiable and focus exclusively on handover.

SBAR should be used to support efficient clinical communication. Monday academic meetings take place at 12:30 in person in the Neonatal Department Committee Room. Other meetings include the alternate Tuesday joint obstetric and neonatal morbidity and mortality meeting and the Friday Executive Committee meeting.

Access SBAR template

Rosters are designed to be fair, manageable, aligned with training needs, and compliant with HPCSA stipulations. First-day calls are avoided where operationally feasible to allow adequate time for orientation and integration into the unit.

Parking and access card information is addressed in the digital flipbook. Staff are not typically granted automatic access to the maternity block parking lot, and access cards are managed by the Medical Manager.