In 2010-11 , a Health Resource & Services Administration ( HRSA ) Workforce Development grant of nearly $ 500,000 was made to Bon Secours Memorial College of Nursing to develop a Simulation Center . As part of the implementation plan , a strategic decision was made to approach Bon Secours Health System to seek their involvement in implementing HeartCode ® . This overture proved invaluable in gaining operational support and in extending the reach into the clinical setting . Essentially , the ability to partner with the health system – hospitals , clinics , and other providers – provided an excellent laboratory for proving the worth of the initiative .
In today ’ s value-based environment , there is less room in budgets for taking staff off the floor to take part in requisite training and recertification . This fiscal reality coupled with the quality of the program resonated with the leadership at the Bon Secours system , making for a relatively easy decision to proceed at the health system level .
As a key component of the initiative , Bon Secours began working with HealthStream to implement HeartCode throughout the system . The first step in the rollout was important . The decision was made to implement the learning initiative incrementally , rather than to attempt a system-wide implementation from day one . This step-wise approach was to introduce HeartCode in eight Virginia hospitals , plus emergency rooms and physician offices in the initial rollout . This decision was key to the eventual success of the effort .
Following , in 2012 , facilities in Florida , Kentucky , Maryland , and New York went live among approximately 28,000 employees on the East Coast – at least 50 % were trained . New hires began receiving HeartCode as part of a twoday onboarding experience .
The results had been encouraging from the beginning . Not surprisingly , perhaps , educating staff learners using this new method did require an adjustment period . That was anticipated . With educators , however , the benefits of using HeartCode became readily apparent . Educators soon saw the advantages , most notably HeartCode was an efficient and consistent way of providing adult learners with the repetition required to learn and retain new skills . Providing the requisite amount of repetition by continually scheduling time off the floor , was no longer cost-effective and this innovative delivery of content was a timely solution .
Though they adjusted relatively quickly , perhaps the biggest hurdle to clear on the part of educators was adjusting to teaching in a new way after they themselves had been taught in the more traditional , classroom setting . The natural inclination was to follow that same path and perpetuate “ the old way ” of learning .
IMPACT
Bon Secours has learned and benefited from HeartCode in numerous important ways :
• Efficient record-keeping and tracking to stay current • Clear identification of staff who struggle with CPR with re-certification status . to enable reassignment of their role .
• Accurate assessments of individual learner ’ s strengths and weaknesses .
• Improved staff confidence improved which leads to quicker response to a code .
• Consistent skill training across all participants .
22 HealthStream E-Book : High-Quality CPR : Breathing New Life into Your Training Program