Delivering effective training in healthcare is important because a highly-trained workforce is critical to ensuring that programs are implemented and that patient outcomes are optimized. Healthcare organisations can achieve that outcome by investing in training and education, but it is important that they first identify their audience's needs, deliver a training program that aligns with those needs and deliver through evidence-based curriculum.
Here are 5 key factors of delivering effective training in healthcare:
Identifying a need
It is critical that healthcare organisations identify the needs of their audience before they start to deliver training. This is because a poorly-designed training program can derail or fail to deliver a positive impact on the organisation. Training programs are typically completely disconnected from a healthcare organisation's mission and as such should always align with the organisation. Doing this makes it easier for learners to adjust, fall in love with their program, engage them during and after the training, embrace their new skills, and use them to make meaningful improvements in the organisation (which will inevitably lead to improved efficiency, health outcomes, and overall performance).
Train the right person
Training needs to be tailored to the learner. This means that the programme might be for new doctors or nurses, mid-career professionals with more experience, or perhaps older professionals wanting renewed skills. Train the workers you get, not the ones you think you need. At least 90% of employees need to be trained. Doctors in a hospital, nurses in a clinic or hospital, police officers, and firefighters need to be trained if they are going to perform their jobs well.
Establish quality training standards
Training needs to be evaluated to know if the required knowledge is actually being learned. This is much easier to do if the training is given to many employees than it is if it is given to just a few. Evaluate the training context and instructor to determine if feedback is being received by employees. For instance, does an employee know that if they are not performing their jobs effectively then the reason is the training they received was wrong, incomplete, or faulty
Maintain consistency
A training program should be maintained with an eye to only updating content and adding new material when necessary. This way a training program won't become obsolete. It will still be accurate as long as it is taught with the same consistency over time.
Use familiar training methods
Give employees the tools to be successful in their roles so that they will be more proficient at their jobs. If employees are given the opportunity to do what is expects of them, then they will be more likely to embrace the roles and be more successful in their role
Our Training of Trainers for Healthcare workers Diploma combines theoretical knowledge and practical projects to help healthcare workers become effective trainers, able to perfectly build the skills of other staff within their organisation.