Unit Based Educators

Yes, I am still the unit based educator for our unit, which is 52 bed medsurg unit. I probably have about the same amount of staff as you do. Some of the things that I am finding works is a morning huddle. I usually do it right before shift change as everyone is sitting down getting ready for report. I talk to them about anything new coming up, or about a reminder that we started and has not been followed through with very well. I also have a little bullentin board in the lounge that is titled as a weekly talking point. I put things up to remind the staff about lab draw procedures etc. It is usallly something that one of the staff members sees that we are currenly having trouble with that I have not seen. I have also learned that when I am doing little mini-in-services that I take a sign up list and have it signed that they got the information. There have been times in the past when I was told that no one told them that, and I can remind them that they did get it. It sounds awful that you sometimes have to resort to that but it does happen. Also you have a list of people who did get the trainingand you can give them credit in thier records. I have also found that the more creative you can get with your teaching and you don't mind looking a little silly at times, it really helps them to pay attention and hopefully remember. We have had a lot of issues with contact precautions and the staff just not gowning up etc. So I walked a round with gloves and a gown on with a sign that said what am I. It sounds a little extreme, but we have not had a unit based educator on our floor for over 5 years, so I started out just trying to get their attention. Our new grads or new hires are given a binder with all the competencies that they will need to complete to work on our floor. We have a nurse extern program and we always have a group of students on our floor. They can do only the things that they have been checked off in nursing school and they are teamed up with a RN and they get a lot of learning expierence through that. I hope that some of the ideas have helped. I am still learning and trying to come up with ways to get the information across. In September I will be setting up a "skills fair" in one of our empty rooms to teach on epuipment, chest tubes, etc.
Congratulations on your new position.