opinions on in-services

[zuchRN]

What is it that people like or dislike about in-services? I frequently do the in-servicing and have been experimenting with different types of presenting styles and activities. I would appreciate any good suggestions on things that really capture your attention or tune you out. Not having in-services is obviously not an optiojn. Just looking to make them wothwhile for everyone involved.

[SandyB]

Colorful Power Points hold my attention.

[CoffeeRTC, BSN, RN]

OOPs

[CoffeeRTC, BSN, RN]

Keep it as short as you can while still getting the info you need to.

Hand outs...I like them.

Asking questions to the group....some people hate this? Bueller????

Use color.

People love food or drinks.

Come in on the off shifts...they will love you just for doing it and be more willing to listen and participate. (This should be #1)

Use exaples that they would know. (relate it to a resident they all took care of before)

Schedule the inservice well enough in advance.

Watch the education level of staff. Some like short explanations, others love more info.

[sis14rn]

Sometimes, depending on the subject matter, I play games. I have done infection control jeopardy. Getting the inservice to be more interactive helps I think.

[CapeCodMermaid, RN]

anything BUT power point.

[PHTLS]

The junk food, free gifts, and relaxing with your fellow co-workers.

[SouthernLPN2RN, MSN, RN, APRN, NP]

My biggest pet peeves with inservices (at my hospital) are that they do more than two a month, and most of the time expect you to come in on your off time. Back when HIPAA came out, there were five seperate inservices that month, all labeled mandatory, and only one was about HIPAA.

[teeituptom, BSN, RN]

They interfere with my Golfing

[CoffeeRTC, BSN, RN]

Just another suggestion...

Self guided inservice packs for the folks that couldn't make it.

[Blackcat99]

Yes if you want the night shift to attend then it is best to hold the inservices at a convenient time for the night shift. At my LTC they always have them at 2pm so they rarely get any night shift people to attend. They always make the inservices "mandatory" and all that does is cause people to become angry :angryfire and resentful. They have mandatory meetings and/or mandatory inservices almost every week. In fact, they have one today at 2pm but I'll be sleeping so will not attend. For those nurses who cannot attend perhaps you can give out hand-outs instead. Good luck

[SharkLPN]

And if you do schedule inservices for night shift, forget timing them before midnight. 8:30 PM? :chuckle Yeah, right. I'll drop checking VS, BS, passing evening/night meds, just so you can Powerpoint my way through some boring material. Stop by after my 8 patients are all tucked in, medicated, and my charting is done.

Speaking of Powerpoint, if you're going to use it, don't bother reading from the screen verbatim. You've just insulted my intelligence...