Can i pick your brains about your training please guys?

[dissle]

I am curious about how every one undertakes training post qualifying.

I have several questions if you don't mind and would really appreciate any input.

How does your department facilitate training, say on a medical device?

During a busy shift, when do you find time to go to training?

Does your dept organise whole days dedicated to training or ad hoc hours here and there?

What about paperwork, do you have to complete self assessments?

How often are you trained on equipment, yearly/2 yearly?

How are you assessed in practice on the safe and competent use of a piece of equipment?

Who provides your training? Is it someone in post to do this, or is it the company who sell the device?

If you could make a wish list for training on equipment to make it easier, more accessible, what would be on it?

Again, thank you so much for your time and input into this discussion, i really appreciate it.

Dissle.

[XB9S, BSN, MSN, EdD, RN, APN]

hi dissle, i'll try to answer some of your questions i work in the uk so it may well be what you are used to anyway.

how does your department facilitate training, say on a medical device?

during a busy shift, when do you find time to go to training?

we have a professional development nurse, she organises training on our pumps via the clinical engineering department. the training is organised on a day with other things included such as cpr, recognision of the sick patient, wound management. because they are organised into a day for the whole directorate it means that you are not snatching time from a busy shift. you have a study day for these things.

does your dept organise whole days dedicated to training or ad hoc hours here and there?

days as i have already mentioned

what about paperwork, do you have to complete self assessments?

we have link trainers and assessors who are given time to do the assessments and they complete the paperwork and send them to our trust training and education department

how often are you trained on equipment, yearly/2 yearly?

yearly assessments and on new equip as it is introduced into the unit

how are you assessed in practice on the safe and competent use of a piece of equipment?

link trainers and assessors do this

who provides your training? is it someone in post to do this, or is it the company who sell the device?

depends on the equipment, for our beds we get the company in to do the training and they spend a whole day on the ward fitting in with the nurses workload. for things like pumps this is done by clinical engineering initially then continuation training by the link trainers

if you could make a wish list for training on equipment to make it easier, more accessible, what would be on it?

not sure, i think more staff to cover the study days. i think we have the organisation fairly well covered but as with all things in cases of sickness on the ward training is the first thing to be sacrificed

again, thank you so much for your time and input into this discussion, i really appreciate it.

dissle.

you are very welcome. how does your trust do this? is it similar to what i have described or different

[dissle]

Thanks for your reply, it is very much how our Trust do things, however i am in critical care and so the list of devices that we have to learn is vast, and the staff list to get through this training likewise.

We are a seperate entity because of this and we do not tend to use the same equipment as the rest of the Trust. This means that we will have to find our own way with training.

I want a big cross section of methods adopted by different people from different areas, different countries and their opinions on this.

I think that what i will find is that the way that you describe how your training takes place will be pretty standard to the rest of GB.

Thanks again for your reply.

Any one else?

[XB9S, BSN, MSN, EdD, RN, APN]

Thanks for your reply, it is very much how our Trust do things, however i am in critical care and so the list of devices that we have to learn is vast, and the staff list to get through this training likewise.

We are a seperate entity because of this and we do not tend to use the same equipment as the rest of the Trust. This means that we will have to find our own way with training.

I want a big cross section of methods adopted by different people from different areas, different countries and their opinions on this.

I think that what i will find is that the way that you describe how your training takes place will be pretty standard to the rest of GB.

Thanks again for your reply.

Any one else?

The training I described is similar for our critical care units, the specialist equipment such as the vents, monitors, IABP, Oscilators are all done inhouse during induction, the induction is over a period of 8 weeks completly supervised the 6 months mentored, also there are 4 practice educators and a critical care consultant nurse who lead on the educational issues. Time off is not an issue for training as they are so well staffed and funded there are always spare senior staff floating to cover training.

[dissle]

Oh Sharrie, your place sounds superb, with a great number of staff dedicated to training.

We too have good induction and mentorship, but there are only 2 of us and i am part time.

Therein lies my problem, i just feel like i am drowning in it all and do not know where to start, how to streamline the service and how to make the whole thing easier.

It is the permanent staff that i worry about.

I need a plan but i need advice from those who have been where i am and who have a good system in place.

The reason for my questions in my first post is to take others experiences and use them to think lean, and make the whole thing more manageable.

[XB9S, BSN, MSN, EdD, RN, APN]

If there are only 2 of you how about cascading some of the training out to the senior staff. It is in thier interest to have competent staff working on the unit with them and will reduce the time they have to spend problem solving when your not around.

Also how about bringing in other specialities as resources, if you have a good clinical engineering department they can be really valuable teaching about the machinery and the clinical input can be provided by yourself and your senior staff.

Equipment representatives are also really useful people, you pay enough money for the equipment many offer training as part of the contract but are rarely asked to provide it.

With so little in the way of educationalists you need to maybe take a facilitator role rather than direct hands on teaching for everything.

I would also expect your resuscitation training departmetn would have already written a cascade training policy so it may be worth chatting with them and seeing what they have you can use.

Just a few suggestions, I have been in a position where I was the only trainer for a whole district general hospital in emergency care, this included all resus training so had to look outside the box at ways of delivering training.

[dissle]

Great suggestions there thanks.

I can certainly facilitate training for the senior staff on devices. As there is always at least one of them on a shift there is always one person who will know the kit well.

My problem with this is that due to poor staffing levels there is no way that they can be sheduled a whole studyday.

My other problem is getting them out during a shift one at a time for the training. This makes the training "bitty" with one or two getting the training.

Hmm got me thinking now, if plenty of notice is given, and the day is well organised i may be able to wangle a days training to get 80-90% of the sisters trained up, and i could get them through 4-5 bits of kit.........

oooh ive got fire in my belly now! im raring to go!!!!!

[dissle]

Hi, Any one else?

[mpccrn, BSN, RN]

in an ideal world, we'll get an inservice prior to the equipment showing up. in the real world....see one, do one, show one.......and rarely but it does happen......here it is, figure it out yourself!

[dissle]

How about you guys in America, how do you do this?