Beyond a name tag

Whether a practitioner is busy getting to grips with new equipment or feels awkward making small talk, there are a range of factors that can prevent locum optometrists from forming connections with new colleagues.

However, there are significant advantages for locum optometrists who invest the time in getting to know aspects of a colleague’s identity that extend beyond their job title.

Establishing common ground with a new colleague can help to make work more enjoyable, as well as increasing the chances that an optometrist will be welcomed back to the practice.

OT finds out how locum optometrists approach forming strong professional bonds in practice.

Genuine connections

Over the course of his career as a locum, Frank Eperjesi has realised the importance of being on good terms with all staff – including support staff and the practice manager.

Eperjesi will offer to make tea and coffee for colleagues, or bring in cake to share at lunch. He takes the time to get to know staff and makes an effort to listen more than he talks.

“I learn more when I listen than when I talk,” Eperjesi observed.

Locum optometrist, Kam Sandhu,makes an effort to be friendly with staff and introduce herself when she first arrives at a new practice.

“If time allows, rather than staying in your room, engage in conversations with the staff, and ask questions about the practice,” she recommended.

Sandhu highlighted that building a positive connection with staff can help to put a locum optometrist at ease in a practice.

“Taking the time to get to know and understand your colleagues and showing genuine interest in them can lead to meaningful conversations and connections,” she said.

A good relationship with colleagues can help to strengthen a locum optometrist’s understanding of the practice as a whole, Sandhu added.

“Team members are essential for ensuring your clinic operates efficiently, and they are also available to assist you with any queries you may have,” she said. 

Locum optometrist, Francesca Marchetti, makes an effort to engage staff in conversation and remember small details that she can ask about next time she is in the same practice.

She will avoid spending too much time on her phone or sitting in the testing room between appointments.

“I accept coffee or tea when I am asked and will chit chat all day long between patients,” Marchetti said.