Paying People To Do Meaningless Online ED

[Emergent]

I was talking to a former coworker from the ER who retired about four years ago. We are going to get together. She told me that she used to pay the ER techs and unit secretaries cash to do all the stupid online bs that is worse and worse every year. Of course we were talking about how idiotic the so-called education modules are. It's absolutely ridiculous. I told her that I I have another friend who retired right before all the education was due, because she was so fed up with the stupidity that is spewed out by regulatory.

[mizfradd, CNA]

On 12/2/2021 at 3:12 PM, brandy1017 said:

"trying to get the damn dummy to pass me"...

I'm sorry for all that you went through, but that particular part of the story had me laughing hard; then lo and behold, I read Davey Do's (down below yours) and I want to thank you both for cracking me up today!!  ?

 

[hppygr8ful, ASN, RN, EMT-I]

We may call it meaningless but I think the more appropriate word would be tedious. Some of the education is doen to satisfy regulatory and yes Coporate policies that allow for continued reimbursment through MediCare and Medicaid (Especially in the US) but I have also notced that those you complaine the most are those who have great difficulty verbalizing policies and procedures to management and surveyors. Those of us who take the time and effort to know these things and simply do the education as part of the job without complaint rarely have difficulty when surveyors or corporate entities come calling. 

Say what you will about corporate healthcare in America but it is the reality that we practice in and it's not going to change anytime soon. Politicitians and law makers on both sides of the asile have their hands so deep in the corporate pockets and they want to continue getting that piece of the pie. If this were not so then the current administration would simply take over healthcare and be done with the corprate model. Still the federal government has not done to well with healthcare management as seen by their handeling of the Veteran's Administation. 

Unless provider's of healthcare both physicians and nurses start to work together this situation will never change. 

Hppy

[Kooky Korky, BSN, RN]

On 12/1/2021 at 8:24 AM, Emergent said:

Clarification: while my nurse colleague was busy at work taking care of ER patients,  she opened up the online education program for a unit secretary or ER tech to complete in her name, and she paid them cash.

Are you going to report her for fraud or whatever crime this is?

[Kooky Korky, BSN, RN]

On 12/2/2021 at 1:16 PM, hppygr8ful said:

Not a “win win” if either gets caught. Pretty sure it would result in termination for both.

And maybe worse than termination.  License could be jeopardized.  And retirees often resume at least part-time work.

[kbrn2002, ADN, RN]

On 12/2/2021 at 8:15 AM, Emergent said:

I'm wondering if any of the people who are saying it is unethical ever just skipped the education part, and took the test, and maybe took the test more than once just to get it over with. I've done that on non-essential, ridiculous modules.

The thing about this newer style of 'education' is that it serves one of two purposes. It is either to protect the facility from legal liability, or to satisfy regulatory agencies.

When I first got into nursing all the education was designed to improve our skills, and/or familiarity with equipment and procedures. Now 'education' is mostly useless hogwash.

Sadly the powers that be caught on to that tactic of just skipping to the test. Most of the updated so called education now requires the entire course be taken, with areas at the end of each section that either have to be clicked or non-scored questions that have to be answered in order to advance to the next section. It's a huge time waster and no way around it.

[Emergent, RN]

8 hours ago, Kooky Korky said:

Are you going to report her for fraud or whatever crime this is?

Belly laugh!?

[Guest 1152923]

On 11/30/2021 at 5:33 PM, Emergent said:

I was talking to a former coworker from the ER who retired about four years ago. We are going to get together. She told me that she used to pay the ER techs and unit secretaries cash to do all the stupid online bs that is worse and worse every year. Of course we were talking about how idiotic the so-called education modules are. It's absolutely ridiculous. I told her that I I have another friend who retired right before all the education was due, because she was so fed up with the stupidity that is spewed out by regulatory.

     I personally wouldn't do this, not because of any moral conflict but because I'm cheap and would worry about being caught.  These online educational modules are generic, time wasting dreck.  I typically start one, click when I need to click, and then tune out to surf the web or zone out for a while.

[Davey Do]

On 12/11/2021 at 12:29 PM, Kooky Korky said:

Are you going to report her for fraud or whatever crime this is?

 

[MunoRN, RN]

I get that this was supposed to be a humorous story about how mandated annual education is so annoying that someone might consider it worthwhile to pay someone else to do it.

But it's also a pretty stupid idea.  Required annual education typically includes some amount of training that is required because your licensing body requires it.  If you've intentionally falsified that you completed state-required training (provided through your employer) then you are knowingly practicing nursing without a license, which is potentially a felony punishable with jail time.  Not really is lighthearted and humorous as it was originally intended, I realize.

[Ado Annie, ASN, RN]

My current employer doesn't have online ED. My previous employer did, to a great degree. I understand that some of the modules are more useful than others, but I think having repetition and reminders of material is good. It certainly helps me to remember and feel more confident in my knowledge.

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

On 12/11/2021 at 2:17 PM, kbrn2002 said:

Sadly the powers that be caught on to that tactic of just skipping to the test.

Wow! Mine actually offers pretests, and if you get 100% you’re done and don’t have to review it unless you want to. 

[JKL33]

42 minutes ago, Rose_Queen said:

Wow! Mine actually offers pretests, and if you get 100% you’re done and don’t have to review it unless you want to. 

What? You mean you don't have to sit there and click on all the 15 things that are wrong with this picture according to the fire marshall/infection control team/whoever?

And when you can't find the 15th you begin a process of clicking every single pixel until you find the thing that was supposedly unsafe?