Blended Learning Solution: Perfect Prescription for a Children's Medical Center IS Training
When a children’s medical center in a major city underwent its routine annual clinical system upgrade, it was anything but routine.
In addition to the standard annual Cerner Millennium software application upgrade, the innovative 406-bed children’s hospital participated in the Alpha implementation of Cerner’s CareMobile, a hand-held, point-of-care solution that uses bar codes on the patients’ identification wristbands to track medication administration and online clinical documentation.
This advanced technology aids patient safety by ensuring the right medication was administered at the correct dosage to the right child at the right time.
The impact these integrated technologies had on the day-to-day operations and patient care was far-reaching and required a substantial workflow change in many departments.
With a “go live” deadline of only six months, the IS training department would have the imposing task of training a large majority of the hospital staff and doctors on the new systems.
The children’s medical center information systems advanced development director knew the end result would further enhance the children’s center operations and patient care by creating workflow efficiencies, clinical business data and process integration and operational improvements. She also knew the training department was faced with a significant challenge to meet the overwhelming training need.
The development director turned to Houston-based Solo Learning — a high-growth, learning management company that provides solutions for some of America’s leading companies—for a training solution that would assess the current training department and develop and implement all aspects of training for this mammoth-scale system roll-out.
Solo began working with the development director to develop a training strategy that would efficiently teach users to maximize the benefits of the technology in multiple departments. The new training structure would have to satisfy several requirements including:
- Quickly familiarizing employees with the aspects of the technology they would most often utilize
- Providing realistic training scenarios prior to the new software launch on a department-by-department basis
- Allowing employees to review elements of the program quickly on an as-needed basis
- Structuring the training to enable the hospital to fully function during the training of a majority of its employees and doctors
- Completing the entire process within a few weeks
To promote the process, Solo consultants also helped the center screen potential IS training department new hires who would support training on an on-going basis.
After the initial assessment of the training department, Solo analyzed the data and recommended a unique, blended training strategy for the children’s medical center.
Blending a computer-based-training (CBT) strategy with focused instructor-led classes, Solo Learning was able to maximize efficiency by covering the system basics in the CBTs and more detailed, department-individualized material in a classroom setting.
Solo Learning created nine intricately detailed simulation training modules to replicate the software so every user received relevant training scenarios based on their use of a particular aspect of Millennium and CareMobile. A wide variety of training scenarios and interfaces were developed so user groups, such as physicians, nurses, lab technicians and even dietary aides, would all be trained with specific information pertinent to their individual jobs.
Employees would be able to complete online training from their own computers at their own pace, reducing the length of time away from their departments. This method also allowed employees to review lessons multiple times if necessary. Once individual training was complete, instructors conducted multiple one- to two-hour classes on the specific, detailed functions for each department.
“The CBT was great because even though they covered system basics, much of the training was complex and using a CBT gave the employees more than one shot to learn the material,” said the development director.
To maintain efficiency and adhere to a tight schedule, Solo recommended that CBT training be a prerequisite for attending the more advanced instructor-led classes. This prerequisite policy allowed the instructor-led training to focus on the more complex aspects of the programs at the center.
“Requiring and enforcing the CBT classes as a prerequisite to the instructor-led classes was an excellent decision and ensured that all employees had some basic knowledge before they attempted the more advanced classroom training,” the development director said.
According to the director, understanding there would be strict enforcement of pre-class preparation prompted the people to come to class with the CBT’s completed.
“It was a very wise use of everyone’s time and I think those who did prepare for the class were pleased to learn they hadn’t wasted their time,” she added.
One of the most critical user groups, that would have the heaviest usage of the new systems, was the nursing staff. To properly address this vital group, Solo set aside special areas on the various floors for a clinical educator. To increase efficiency, the area was staffed only at specific times, such as when an employee requested additional training on a certain function. The clinical educator would work with the employee right there in the department, explaining the steps as they worked through a problem.
“These specialty training areas and classes really helped to minimize the disruption to normal hospital operations, which is really important to us,” said an IS manager.
Response from employees was very positive—despite the change in many employees’ workflow and duties, according to the development director.
“I credit that positive response to the training and the various formats we used,” she said. “The CBTs, clinic educators and the detailed classroom instructions combined to create a very thorough training program for us.”
Solo Learning’s blended training module was the right prescription for the children’s center. Using that formula, Solo Learning helped the center quickly assess the training needs, develop a plan structure that would work around the demands of a busy children’s hospital and provide realistic training for individualized users in an extremely tight timeframe. From start to finish the entire training project, including full-simulation software development and classes, only took 14 weeks. Solo Learning completed the project on time and on budget, which was just what the doctor ordered.For more information about Solo Learning visit www.sololearning.com
