Training

It’s the little things that count.

March 24, 2020 by Leigh Kelly

Having just spent time in hospital with a fractured pelvis, I am reminded again of the little things that make recovery easier. While I can’t fault the care, it is the little niceties that make it more bearable. I’m talking about somewhere to put your little bits of rubbish that accumulate around you. Easily solved by putting a rubbish bag attached to your nightingale. Like pain relief being given on time so you can at least be more comfortable. When receiving care, have it all completed before the nurse goes on to the next person. Having to sit and wait to have your morning cares does not make the morning start well.

I have to say I am very impressed with the new grads too. The standard of care they delivered was exceptional. They were well organised in their day too which was very pleasing to see.

However, a lot has happened in a week hasn’t it with the World Wide Pandemic being declared. But again, it is the little things that count – like handwashing. Being sloppy around this very basic of practices is what can cause the harm. For those using Care Training Online, I have posted some updated videos on Virus’, what they are and how to combat them on the Infection Control topic. I have also updated some videos on the Pandemic planning topic as well.

Back to the little things again. It is these that will keep you all safe. The gold standard for hand hygiene is soap and water. While many think that hand sanitisers will protect them, some pointers to remember are:

Not all hand sanitisers are equal. They need to be at least 60% alcohol to be effective
Hands need to be clean in the first place for hand sanitisers to work
Even if using hand sanitiser, if you pick up the container, you are contaminating it as is everyone else who picks it up so it less likely to be effective. On top of this hands needs to be washed frequently with warm water and soap as well, so soap and water is the best defence against cross infections.

So, nothing beats hand washing with soap and warm water, not cold water. This article will explain more.

So how are you going to prevent the virus from getting into the facility or your home in the first place? Have some form of soap and water hand washing at your door. While warm water may be a bit difficult to provide in these circumstances, I am reminded of Ignaz Semmelweis, the father of Infection Control, who prevented postpartum woman from dying by having buckets of water and chlorinated lime in the wards. All his medical students had to wash their hands before they examined any women in labour and dropped the death rate to as little as .85%. It worked in the 1800s, and it still works today so let us not be resistant to the importance of using soap and water and when not available, use hand sanitiser with a high alcohol content.

Learning Styles Across Cultures

October 31, 2019 by Leigh Kelly

I came across an article in a Training & Development Magazine. It is written by Sean O’Tool who works with Australia’s largest employer of Aboriginal people and it is about understanding the difference between traditional culture learning and mainstream western culture learning. He received a Churchill Scholarship to investigate best practices of teaching indigenous people in New Zealand, Canada and USA.

Indigenous people around the world share many common learning styles which can be in conflict with the way most of our teaching is done in western culture where we use the expert-novice model. Those of us who work with many ethnicities, know that not every body learns the same way and unless we look at providing a variety of learning options, teaching staff to provide the care the way we expect them to will result in varying results. “A common learning style for indigenous people is to see a demonstration and go away and practice privately until they master the skill” he says. How many times do we actually nurture or respect this way of learning?

In the article there is a comparative table of the learning styles of indigenous and non-indigenous people. It was developed by the Aboriginal Human Resource Council of Canada (2007). I hope you find it interesting

TRADITIONAL CULTURE	MAINSTREAM WESTERN CULTURE
Community is the foremost of all values	Individualism is the foremost value
The future tense is dominant	Tradition of printing and literacy
The world is understood mythically	The present is the dominant tense
Goals are met with patience	The world is understood scientifically
Ownership is often communal	Goals are met with aggressive effort
Gifts are regarded as social glue	Ownership is reward for hard work
Work is often motivated by group need	Gifts are regarded as holiday issues
Aging is a source of wisdom	Work is motivated by ambition
Eye contact is thought over-assertive	Aging is decay and loss
Silences are acceptable anywhere	Eye contact is part of conversation
Assertiveness is non-communal	Silences are a waste of time
Listening skills are prized	Assertiveness is a basic social skill
Soft spoken words carry farthest	Communication skills are prized
Nodding signifies understanding	Emphasis carries the day
Handshake is soft, signalling no threat	Nodding signifies agreement
Collective decisions are consensual	Handshake is firm, assertive
A faith in harmony with nature	Collective decisions are put to a vote
Family is extended family	A faith in scientific control of nature
Responds to praise of the group	Family is nuclear family
	Responds to praise of the individual

Rote Learning Is Back In Fashion

June 7, 2016 by Leigh Kelly

At a recent training meeting I discovered that rote learning is back in fashion.

But of course it has a fancy new name now. It is called Space Repetition.

Now when I went to school, we did rote learning with the times table. Goodness knows how many times the tables were gone through in a group.

And do you know, to this day, I still remember them and can regurgitate them in an instant.

But you want more than regurgitation when it comes to learning something for your job.

The Missing Ingredient

So if you want your staff to learn something, then you need to teach them, teach them again and teach them again – and often more often.

However there is one other ingredient that has to be added to this…

Merely learning by rote or memorizing what to do will not necessarily change the behavior.

After a training employees will be able to tell you what they think you want them to say.

But do they understand it?

WIIFM

So to make it stick, there has to be a WIIFM (What’s In It For Me – well, them?).

What is the purpose of you doing the training?

What will they get out of it?

BUT you need to keep it simple.

Teaching Your Employees

So how are you going to find out each person’s WIIFM is?

You take the time to ask them the questions when you are having a 1:1 discussion, or training or at appraisal or any other time.

Some questions you could ask them are:

How do you like to learn?
How did you find doing exams at school?
What is your worst learning experience?
How can I help you to learn?

There are more questions here to help you do this too.

I know it is for teachers but if you are passionate about your work and want to give the best to your clients or residents…

Then you need to train your staff and can be creative about how you do it.

How Can Care Training Online Help?

If you are using Care Training Online, don’t just stick to the same format of getting them to fill out a worksheet and nothing else.

There are a lot of options with this training so try something different each time.

Pick a slide or a segment, sit around in a group and have a 10 min discussion about it.

Or use examples of people in your care or instances that may have occurred or a personal experience they may have had.

You can also use a combination of learning – some worksheets, some discussion etc.

Too Busy?

Ok, I hear you saying, “What is she talking about? How are we going to get the time in our already busy day to do this?”

Just think about the amount of time you have wasted fixing problems created through lack of knowledge that could have been avoided if the caregiver knew what to do.

Or the amount of time you spend dealing with relatives or management explaining why the error or mistake was made or a complaint received?

This is where the true value of training comes out.

If you spend time on the front end training, you waste less time putting out fires in the end because your staff is well trained.

Better Training, Better Caregivers

What is important though is that you don’t abdicate your role of training your staff.

It is not just about getting as many people as possible sitting in front of a screen or person speaking.

It is about making it a meaningful experience that they can learn from and apply what they have learned.

This is your role.

While I can provide you with content, you need to move away from ticking a box to satisfy auditors or fulfill contractual obligations to creating a worthwhile and meaningful experience around learning to make your staff better caregivers, improve their confidence and improve the experience of the recipient of care.

It doesn’t need to take an hour.

It can be short sharp sessions that they understand and can apply. This will work far better than an hour in front of a computer or trainer.

And I have designed Care Training Online so you can have more quality training rather than quantity training.

Want to try out Care Training Online for free? Your first step is to get these printable Infection Control Protocols to share with your team and learn how to deal with 19 different infections & communicable diseases in your care facility.

Developing Your Front Line Leaders

May 24, 2016 by Leigh Kelly

Who are these people, the “front line” leaders?

Well those are the ones who get their hands dirty. The people at the coal face who have to implement what is filtered from the top down.

How well do you know these people? Is what is being sent down for implementation feasible or even practical?

Are you overloading the front line leaders so they burnout, become dissatisfied and give up and leave?

How well do you listen to the people at the coalface or even ask for their opinion or input? Do you sit in your ivory tower and send down yet another compliance issue for implementation?

It’s Different At The Top

Why do I ask this?

Well it is very easy to sit at the top and deal with another compliance issue.

You can see all the implications of not implementing it… but have you actually worked at the coalface?

You Have To Understand Your Employees

Have you ever been the one who has to deal with all the complex issues that come up on a day to day basis that disrupt your day?

Have you ever been a manager at the beck and call of everyone in sundry –the staff, residents, families, auditors, regulatory bodies, visitors, prospective new clients… and everyone that walks in the front door of the facility?

Have you even been a caregiver who has to work to the demands of the client, family, registered, nurses, managers, other caregivers, cook, cleaner, laundry person… ?

If you haven’t then I suggest that before you send down the next directive you have a little thought for the person or people you are expecting to implement the directive.

Why Is The Front Line Important?

So why am I talking about this? Well my team and I talk to a lot of people around the country who are these people – those at the frontl ine.

Many of these would love to have Care Training Online available to use but they can’t because those who sit in their ivory towers say No.

Why do they say No?

Well I don’t really know but what I have discovered are the following possible reasons:

Money
Power and control – you must do as I say
Lack of understanding of the life of a front line manager
Poor communication skills
And many more reasons known only to those at the top

Where Is Your Time Spent With Your Managers?

From these possible reasons we can gather that all the power is at the top with none of it coming down to other employees.

But you see, if you spend more time training your managers to be managers…

Then they have more skills in their toolbox to discuss things with you.

These skills are so lacking among front line managers who have just drifted into the job because they are a nurse or a caregiver who is perceived to have the skills necessary.

Until they take on the job… and frequently crash and burn as a result.

Spend Your Time Wisely

If you spend more time thinking about “how can I save my manager or frontline worker time”…

And “Is it feasible or workable to ask them to do this?”

Rather than throwing more at them to do without thinking about it…

There may just not be a constant stream of new managers needing training.

If you spend more time thinking about how you can get consistency across the organization and less time about sending yet another directive or saying No to something that would work for the front line manager and make life easier for them…

If you stop and listen, just for a minute or just once, then you might get to the heart of the front line manager.

Because if you don’t you will be forever in the cycle of fighting fires.

True Leadership

Leading and leadership are two different things.

To lead you must have the interpersonal skills to do it.

While leadership is having the social skills to be part of a well-functioning team.

If either you or your front line manager do not have the skills then you can forget about group cohesion and business growth.

Happiness Isn’t Overrated

And an unhappy team is not a productive team…

Overloading your front line manager is problematic as this will filter down to the whole team, not just the stay with front line manager.

So treasure your front line managers/workers.

Help them to develop the skills to be your support not the cause for dissatisfaction.

Don’t assume they already have the skills but work with them to get the skills so everyone wins.

So if they say “I want Care Training Online” or some other online material then maybe you need to listen to them? After all it could save you time as well…

Get started with your training with these printable Infection Control Protocols. Share them with your team and learn how to deal with 19 different infections & communicable diseases in your care facility.

Are Infections Plaguing Your Life?

April 26, 2016 by Leigh Kelly

Thinking about the rate of infections that seems to be plaguing us these days makes one wonder what the major cause of this happening is.

We have known for years that overuse of antibiotics has made some bugs resistant…

But could another contributing factor be to do with cleaning standards?

The Problem With Traveling

Now I don’t know if you are a traveler or not, but I hear so often how sick people become after taking a flight.They come back with a virus that they cannot shake.

This happened to me 2 years ago and I seem to hear more and more people in the same situation.

An article came across my desk that the reason for this was due to the quick turnaround of flights…

And the substandard (or should I say non-existent) cleaning that happens to get the plane back in the air again.

I Wouldn’t Leave My House This Way…

The rubbish is cleared but the table tops are not wiped down.

Nothing is done to them.

So you come along and sit down in your allocated seat and pull out your table when you are in the air or to eat.

You are not provided with anything to clean your hands, with the exception of some long haul flights particularly with Asian airlines who bring around heated hand towels.

Sharing Germs

Just think about it…

The person before you has some virus or bacteria.

They probably cough and splutter all around the space you are now occupying.

Without cleaning your hands, your table or arm rests you are then likely to contaminate yourself with whatever is left behind from the previous occupier.

This Happens Everywhere

Now if this is the problem with travel…

Could sub-standard cleaning be part, if not all, of the problems we are experiencing with superbugs?

I don’t know for sure but to me this stands to reason.

If the bugs are not being cleared from the surfaces, then you and those in your care are going to be at risk.

Sharing The Responsibility

As caregivers we know it.

But do we pass this knowledge on or teach others who do not have our backgrounds and knowledge?

Beyond The Training…

Okay, so a life of caring for children and other people may have set you up with the training you need to keep from getting ill.

But does the rest of the family and anyone that comes to visit understand the importance and the risk to everyone if cleaning standards are substandard?

How often do you reinforce hand washing?

This fun but very real video may bring a bit of a smile at the things we do every day unconsciously that can contribute to infections.

Environmental Cleaning

However I want to focus now on environmental cleaning.

How much time is spent explaining the importance of keeping the environment clean?

How often are the tables, window ledges, beds etc wiped down?

I know when I did my training we had to do ward tidies at the clinic every day on the morning shift.

While we did not have to wash the floors, we were responsible for all the patients’ equipment and surfaces surrounding the patient.

And the same goes for homes where care is given.

Whose Responsibility?

Do we, as caregivers do this today or do we rely on someone else to do it?

How often do we check or observe that is has been done?

How likely is it that the surfaces surrounding your loved ones are harboring bacteria or viruses?

What Are Your Standards?

We know that when there is an outbreak it is likely to indicate a breakdown in cleaning standards.

How easy would it be if all the surfaces were cleaned daily with the expected outcome that the rate of infections would be reduced?

Remember, wherever a group of people live, there is likelihood of increased infections.

The Importance Of A Clean Environment

You see, we spend a lot of time talking about the importance of handwashing…

BUT do we spend the same amount of time on the importance of keeping the environment clean as well?

The following video is really good, but please note while most of the training is in English some of the conversations are in French with sub-titles.

It is 20 mins long but it does show how to clean and how important it is to do it correctly at a clinic, but it can be applied to your home as well:

Now this video by Bill Gates is looking at a worldwide epidemic.

He says “The next outbreak? We are not ready.” It is about being prepared and working towards prevention:

Be Prepared

How prepared are you for an outbreak in your home?

I am not necessarily talking about an Ebola outbreak, but a norovirus or influenza outbreak.

I have already talked about the importance of keeping surfaces clean and how this helps to contain or even prevent an outbreak.

Now in a hoe it is on a lesser scale to a worldwide epidemic but the principles are the same, as is the impact on people.

Have you considered how you could prevent an outbreak rather than react to a crisis?

It would be much easier for everyone if more attention was paid to reducing the likelihood of an outbreak in the first place.

Have a parent that’s a little hard to handle? Download our free Challenging Behaviors Guide to discover how you can figure out what’s going on and maintain the relationship with your parent.

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The 5 Levels Of Training Evaluation

April 12, 2016 by Leigh Kelly

I want to take the time to talk a little about evaluating your training.

Did you know that there are actually 5 levels that need to be evaluated?

To make sure the training is effective, these are the levels you should be assessing to know if what you’re doing is working or if you need a new solution.

Level 1

This level of evaluation is done immediately after a training session. You have probably all done these from time to time.

Emma Weber, the author of Turning Learning Into Action, calls these the “happy sheets”. They are the reaction type based evaluation.

Once the training is complete, take a look around the room to see how everyone feels. Happy? Exhausted? A little bit smarter hopefully?

Level 2

A little bit more in depth than Level 1, you need to find out…

What do participants know? What has the person learned from the training or retained from other learning?

Core competencies could come into this. By this I mean you send out an annual sheet for the staff to complete about what they know on a particular topic.

Or it could be you set a questionnaire at the end of an in-service – if you don’t already have one in the training session.

Level 3

This is the behavior-based level of evaluation, and where we start to get to the meat of training evaluation.

Even though many people stop after Level 2, this is where you really start to discover if your training is effective.

Ask yourself.. What are people doing differently as a result of the training?

Why do you need to ask this?

Because this is the glue that cements the learning.

This should really be the true aim of learning – to change or improve behavior.

And you need to know… did it happen in your training? With your staff?

Level 4

At Level 4 we take our evaluation to the big picture level.

What are the results of the training? What effect has the training had on the business or environment?

Level 5

And finally ROI, or Return On Investment.

What impact has the training had on the bottom line?

Back To The Glue…

Now I want to focus for a little on Level 3 because I think this is what can make the biggest difference to levels 4 and 5.

How can you measure this?

What can you do to find out what they have learned and not just from a competency assessment or worksheet that they do at the time of training, before or after?

The Power Of A Case Study

My suggestion is to set a group case study.

Divide the staff into groups of 4 or 5 and set them a task to explore from the learning they have just done or a real life experience that has happened in your facility/organization.

A Case Study Example

Complaints topic: Use a complaint you have received and get them to analyze the complaint (like you the manager or RN have had to do).

Go through the process of communicating with the complainant, write a letter to the person, examine how it could have been avoided and so forth.

This will make them more aware of complaints and enhance the learning.

Example 2

Sensory System – Vision: A client may have macular degeneration. As a Case Study, get them define clearly what it is and how they could make life easier for a person with it.

Include getting them to sit and talk to the client about it and how it affects them, and what they need to do to help them.

This would then give them a better appreciation of what it is like to have this condition.

Real Life Examples

There are no end of real life situations that happen in your facility or organization.

Make it a fun and practical exercise. Give them time to complete and present it to you or even at a staff meeting.

What better way to enhance the learning of your staff than use something they can relate to and begin to use immediately?

Need a head start in changing up your training? Get these printable Infection Control Protocols to share with your team and learn how to deal with 19 different infections & communicable diseases in your care facility.