Assessors in Focus: Rebecca Larcombe

Meet Rebecca Larcombe, one of the latest additions to the team of trainee assessors at Quality Innovation Performance Limited ­­(QIP). With over 18 years of experience in the healthcare field spanning both Australian and UK public health systems, Rebecca brings a wealth of expertise in areas such as medication safety, antimicrobial stewardship, management and research.

As part of our continuous commitment to improving healthcare services, we recently caught up with Rebecca to gain her valuable insights into the accreditation process here at QIP.

This article explores the process to become a QIP Assessor, the valuable rewards Rebecca has unearthed, and the profound commitment she brings to improving patient safety and health care outcomes.

 

Improved Understanding

Rebecca received extensive and thorough training through her process in becoming a QIP Assessor. As a result, Rebecca has significantly enhanced her comprehension of the accreditation procedures, which has equipped her with a useful suite of tools to support her own accreditation process. By fostering a more comprehensive grasp of various standards and broadening her perspective, Rebecca believes this has ultimately honed her clinical skills.

 

Clear and Rewarding Onboarding

Rebecca found the onboarding experience clear and straightforward starting from her initial expression of interest submission, processing through phone interviews, reference checks, and training clarification. While the training was indeed extensive, it offered the added benefit of contributing CPD hours to her AHPRA registration. The investment, while completed over six months, has resulted in long-term benefits.

 

Shared Knowledge as Motivation

Rebecca’s strong interest in the accreditation process, stemming from her experience in her hospital role, will enable her to gain insights into improvement initiatives and ideas from other organisations that can be applied in her hospital role. Rebecca sees becoming an assessor as an opportunity to make a meaningful impact at a broader level, by sharing her experiences with other services, both within and outside the state. She considered undergoing assessment in this context as truly rewarding, as it not only recognises past achievements but also directs attention to areas that require further improvement.

 

Observation Training

As a current trainee assessor with one observation completed, Rebecca had the opportunity to shadow two highly skilled assessors—one with a clinical background and the other with a strong focus on business and governance aspects. This experience provided her with valuable insights into how assessors collaborate with the organisations they evaluate.

“The helpful tips and hints they gave me are invaluable and I am excited about the next observations.”

This firsthand exposure not only deepened Rebecca’s understanding of the observation process but also left her eager to complete her next observations. Rebecca anticipates that these upcoming experiences will continue to broaden her knowledge as she interacts with different assessors and attends various site visits.

 

Mentoring in Practice

As part of the assessor onboarding process, training assessors are partnered with an experienced assessor mentor. These mentors work with trainees and support them in becoming a qualified assessor. Rebecca had the opportunity to experience this mentorship, being guided by an experienced QIP Assessor. As a trainee assessor, she felt these initial interactions were instrumental in her professional development.

Throughout the two days of mentorship, Rebecca found the guidance and reassurance she received to be invaluable. Witnessing the processes employed by experienced assessors, their areas of focus, and the behind-the-scenes work, including navigating tools like the AccreditationPro, provided her with a deeper understanding of the role.

 

Assessing QIP’s eLearning Modules: A User’s Perspective

As trainee assessors progress along the path to becoming a QIP Assessor, they gain access to QIP’s complimentary eLearning modules. Rebecca highly praises these modules, describing them as user-friendly, easy to navigate, and offering an intuitive interface. Their design allows users to start and stop at their convenience, making it possible to complete the modules in manageable, bite-sized chunks.

 

Looking Forward to the Future

Rebecca is enthusiastic to embark on her journey to meet dedicated healthcare professionals across Australia, who share her commitment to delivering safe and high-quality healthcare. Engaging with fellow assessors and staff from the sites undergoing assessment, she believes this experience will not only enhance her own knowledge, but also contribute to elevating patient safety within her own organisation.

As part of our commitment to improving healthcare quality at QIP, we look forward to following Rebecca’s journey as she works towards becoming an assessor. Rebecca possesses a wealth of knowledge and invaluable insights to impart, not only within her own organisation but also to those she assists on their accreditation path.

If becoming a QIP Assessor sounds interesting to you, feel free to contact a member of our Workforce Management Team, or check out our assessor eligibility criteria.