technology
What reactions have you had from staff who have taken part? Their feedback has been phenomenal. We started off with one module first, and we gained feedback from staff, which was positive. Now, after two years, we have eight modules for training, and four of these are mandatory.
What are some of the topics covered and why were they, in particular, chosen to be delivered through iTraining? To date, eight iTraining modules have been developed. This includes the four mandatory topics: fire and other emergencies; infection control; prevention of elder abuse; and Work, Health and Safety( WHS). These were a priority, as all 1000 + employees are required to complete them every year. By moving this from the traditional classroom setting to online, we estimate that iTraining generates annual savings close to $ 500,000 for the organisation.
The other modules have been designed based on feedback from staff, with the majority focused on clinical needs. This includes: personal protective equipment( PPE); S8 medication management; and, most recently, a falls management program. The S8 medication management module is available only for RNs and is mandatory for them. For emergency management, we have also developed a module for use of emergency warning and intercommunication systems( EWIS) specifically designed for emergency co-ordinators, on how to use the system in the event of an emergency.
How do you ensure staff members are supported when using the program? Particularly those who might be less tech savvy. Because it is eLearning, you can do it on your own and in your own time on a computer. That’ s available to all staff. The majority of our staff used that avenue for the training. However, we also have dedicated computer rooms where we have our learning and development team that will facilitate training for staff who either have poor computer skills or may not be confident with computer skills or, in some cases, aren’ t very proficient in English.
How easy would it be for other providers to implement a similar system? You mentioned cost before, would it be worth it from a cost point of view? Would it be worth it from a care point of view? Yes. In both cases, we definitely know it’ s worth it. You obviously have to do an upfront investment, and we use commercially available software. Where you spend a lot of time is working internally with all of the key stakeholders to develop each module individually and make sure they are amenable to, in our case, residential age care. It definitely addresses cost benefits across the organisation, and we’ re seeing that now with the product going into its third year. We’ ve had significant financial savings, and from a care and practice perspective, we’ re seeing people are more proficient in their skills because as they go through the module in iTraining, they have to be engaged.
What are some of the first steps providers should take when setting up this type of eLearning and what should they keep in mind throughout the process? As with any new product, understand your customer’ s needs. In our case, this was our staff and their desire to reduce the time it was taking to complete our annual mandatory training requirements. Start small to test the concept and at all times monitor feedback from the end users. As part of this, pilot test the concept with a diverse sampling of staff, from experts to non-experts, computer savvy users to technophobes, and from those with good English skills to those for whom English is their second language.
From an infrastructure perspective, there are initial costs of the software, video camera and associated devices. These are not expensive and can be budgeted for. Buy-in and commitment from other departments – in particular learning and development, IT and human resources – is a must.
In the design of the modules, be sure each one has its own branding and promote it to all staff just like any new product launch. For example, we promoted the launch of the prevention of elder abuse iTraining module along with World Elder Abuse Awareness Day and encouraged staff to wear purple.
If in doubt, we recommend our approach, whereby we trialled the system initially with one module to gauge staff reaction. This reduced our risk and costs to see if the concept would be accepted, which it was.
What future plans does Montefiore have in this space? Modules are assessed yearly to create new quizzes and scenarios, so as to reduce risk of familiarity with staff. Each module is also reviewed, with changes as they arise. Our staff has embraced iTraining and, with many of them from a younger demographic, we are getting requests to have iTraining available via smartphones and tablets. This we will need to investigate. Automatic linkage of completion of a module to our HR database is being developed and will negate the need for a staff member to scan their certificate of completion to their manager or human resources. In 2017, we will introduce a few new programs based on business needs. ■ agedcareinsite. com. au 35