Authors (including presenting author) :
Tsang MP(1), Wong SM(1), Lau FO(1), Lo TM(1)
Affiliation :
(1)Physiotherapy Department, Tai Po Hospital
Introduction :
Clerical staff plays an important role in smooth department operation. With the introduction of an additional EAII in TPH Physiotherapy Department, duty distribution of clerical staff has to be better defined; unique skills in supporting administration like procurement, repairs etc could be better shared among clerical staff with reorganization of relieving duty and handover system to be better-written. This also need to be clearly presented to other department staff for better communication.
Objectives :
1. To enhance the capability of clerical staff in performing listed job duties
2. To improve the self-efficacy of clerical staff to take over other’s work
3. To sustain work efficiency in administrative tasks during clerk’s leave period
Methodology :
1. To study all job duties of clerical staff and allocate to each staff.
2. To mutualize unique skills in different administrative tasks among clerks. Workflows of specific administrative work will be prepared for easier referencing. Sharing among clerks will be conducted to facilitate learning.
3. To develop relieving and handover system. Relieving system will be better organized by assigning relieving staff to different domains of administrative work of clerk during their leave period. More structured handover system which includes logistic and content of work handover will be developed for clerks to follow when anyone takes leave.
4. To provide introduction session to clerical staff to explain the new relieving and handover system before implementation.
5. To prepare quiz and questionnaires to evaluate the capability, self-efficacy of clerks in different tasks in different positions. Work efficiency will be evaluated at meanwhile.
Result & Outcome :
The program was started in Mar 2021 and completed in May 2021. By the end of the program, structuralized work distribution table with main responsible staff and relieving staff assigned in every administrative task was built. A booklet includes work distribution table and workflows of specific tasks were made for quick referencing. More organized handover system for clerical staff was readily for use when anyone is on leave.
After this program, capability of clerks in performing listed job duties is enhanced. All three clerks showed satisfactory performance (mean percentage of accuracy: 83.3%) in the quiz which evaluated their knowledge to listed job duties.
Furthermore, the self-efficacy of clerks in taking over other’s work is improved. All clerks reported that this program can improve their confidence in buffering others when anyone of them is on leave in the feedback questionnaire.
The work efficiency in administrative tasks is sustained even when any clerk is on leave. Ten physiotherapists were invited to evaluate clerks’ performance in buffering others and their work efficiency. All of them were satisfied with clerk’s work performance. Majority (90%) of them agreed that by re-defined work distribution and enhanced relieving and handover system, clerks showed capability to take over others’ tasks and the work efficiency was sustained when any clerk is on leave.
In conclusion, this capability enhancement exercise enhanced the capability of each clerical staff in performing listed job duties, improved their self-efficacy in relieving work and sustained the work efficiency when any clerk is on leave.
