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View All ProductsUnlocking the full potential of clinicians goes beyond aspiration – it’s a commitment we embody. Our competency development solutions help personalize learning for every clinician so you can confidently bridge the gap between theory and practice for your nurse residents while meeting the unique development needs of your seasoned clinician.
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View All ProductsWe understand the critical importance of earning and maintaining your patients' trust in the delivery of exceptional sedation and surgical outcomes. As a premier provider of healthcare education, we are committed to empowering you in promoting safer, more successful outcomes for each and every patient, without exception.
View All ProductsOur solutions are meticulously designed to cater to the diverse needs of patients, healthcare professionals, and organizations. Within this innovative framework, we have curated specialized subsets of solutions aimed at addressing the ever-evolving challenges faced by individuals dealing with illnesses or chronic conditions.
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Learn MoreBy Gen Guanci, MEd, RN-BC, CCRN, Consultant, Creative Health Care Management
To all of my fellow professional development specialists out there: If someone asked you what your outcomes are this month, how would you answer?
Numbers or Outcomes?
I pose this question frequently when I am consulting with hospital-based nursing education (nursing professional development, NPD) departments. The answers range from “I did orientation for 12 new RNs” to “I taught eight computerized documentation classes” to “I taught ACLS for 35 people” to “I rounded on my units every day and did in-the-moment education.”
You may be thinking, yes, that sounds like my month, too, but these are activities, not outcomes. Sure, what you did is important, but if nothing changed as a result of you doing orientation, or ACLS, or rounds, what value is that work?
Is Training Leading to Better Care and Outcomes?
So many times NPD specialists and departments excel at doing classes, teaching concepts, and holding conversational rounds, but the transfer of learning to the workplace is absent. Even if the class was wonderful, you were outstanding, and the participants told you so, when they went back to their units, was it the same old same old? No behavior change = no outcomes. The primary reason for education is to learn something well enough that the learner can implement a new behavior, change current behavior, or strengthen it.
How you talk about your own effectiveness matters. Here’s why: Typically in times of financial constraints departments that are not seen as “value added” are looked at for reductions in force (RIFs). By articulating how you contribute to the overall goals of the organization in language that talks directly about measurable outcomes you will now be viewed as “value added.”
Reframing How We Talk About Training
Take orientation, for example. You could report that you did 12 orientations for 85 RNs in the past 6 months but this isn’t speaking to an outcome. However, if the results of your work are that you consistently conducted monthly orientations that led to the overall reduction in vacancy rates you can state the following (actual) outcome: “NPD contributed to the overall reduction in RN vacancy rate from 13.4% to 6.6% by conducting 12 orientation programs in the last 6 months.” Learning how to talk about your successes in ways that have meaning for the C-suite may make the difference between keeping your job and losing it.
And by the way, don’t wait for someone to ask what your outcomes are. Be proactive and tell them.
What outcomes are you measuring in your Education Department? And with whom will you be sharing them?
As a consultant at Creative Health Care Management, Gen is focused on advancing nursing as a profession and nursing professional development. Whether it’s educating on Relationship-Based Care, helping education departments with structure and competency metrics, or guiding organizations as they establish a culture of excellence, including the journey to Magnet®designation, Gen sees the possibilities in all of her clients. Gen can be contacted at gguanci@chcm.com
HealthStream’s learning management system and comprehensive suite of competency management tools empower your healthcare workforce to deliver the best patient care.
View All Learning & PerformanceHealthStream offers performance learning management solutions to help develop your healthcare staff into leaders and reduce turnover.
View All ProductsHealthStream works with healthcare organizations to create engaging and high-quality training videos for your staff and management.
View All ProductsImprove care quality and save money by making informed decisions about your healthcare facility and staff with HealthStream's reporting analytics solution.
View All ProductsHealthStream's proven methods for the improvement and overall engagement of your healthcare staff foster a positive workplace and increase retention rates.
View All ProductsWhen you enact HealthStream's quality compliance solutions, you can do so with the confidence your healthcare organization will meet all standards of care.
View All Quality & ComplianceBe confident in your staff’s ability to reduce risk by providing compliance training that changes behavior.
View All ProductsDevelop next-level people for next-level care by prioritizing quality and safety improvements.
View All ProductsStandardize policy and procedure management with an automated, customized, and centralized system.
View All ProductsEstablish a culture of belonging with education supporting DEI, wellness, engagement, and leadership development.
View All ProductsHealthStream offers professional training and education on how to best optimize your reimbursement process within your healthcare organization.
View All ReimbursementStreamline the revenue cycle management process and protect your bottom line with expert-backed education.
View All ProductsExpand the decision-making skills and effectiveness of your healthcare workforce with HealthStream's clinical development programs and services.
View All Clinical DevelopmentLearn about our advanced resuscitation training solutions. Our solutions are designed to help improve patient outcomes.
View All ProductsUnlocking the full potential of clinicians goes beyond aspiration – it’s a commitment we embody. Our competency development solutions help personalize learning for every clinician so you can confidently bridge the gap between theory and practice for your nurse residents while meeting the unique development needs of your seasoned clinician.
View All ProductsEnhance maternal & child nursing care with solutions focused on improving the quality of care for mothers, infants, and children.
View All ProductsAddress staffing challenges, standardize orientation and onboarding, and deliver an effective training program for your team to easily achieve and maintain certification with our critical, emergency, and acute care solutions.
View All ProductsWe understand the critical importance of earning and maintaining your patients' trust in the delivery of exceptional sedation and surgical outcomes. As a premier provider of healthcare education, we are committed to empowering you in promoting safer, more successful outcomes for each and every patient, without exception.
View All ProductsOur solutions are meticulously designed to cater to the diverse needs of patients, healthcare professionals, and organizations. Within this innovative framework, we have curated specialized subsets of solutions aimed at addressing the ever-evolving challenges faced by individuals dealing with illnesses or chronic conditions.
View All ProductsMake sure your healthcare staff can schedule out appointments and work schedules with ease using HealthStream's line of software solutions.
View All SchedulingHealthcare workforce management is essential. We provide advanced scheduling solutions for organizations to solve issues such as nurse retention
View All ProductsComprehensive, industry-leading provider onboarding and credentialing software that validate health outcomes and support provider assessment.
View All CredentialingOur affordable CVO credentialing services establish patient safety by enabling primary source verification for your healthcare organization.
View All ProductsIntegrate with Epic to validate and add new providers directly to your provider master file.
View All Products