I want to take time to talk a little about evaluating your training. There are actually 5 levels of training that need to be evaluated.

Level 1
This is done immediately after a training session. In fact, 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.

Level 2
What do participants know? What has the person learned from the training or retained from other learning?

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

Or if you don’t already have one in the training session you could set a questionnaire at the end of an inservice.

Level 3
What are people doing differently as a result of the training?

This is behavior based. IT IS GLUE THAT CEMENTS THE LEARNING. This should be the aim of learning – to change or improve behavior.

Level 4
What are the results of the training? What effect has the training had on the business or environment?

Level 5
ROI – what impact has it had on the bottom line?

Now I want to focus 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 or before or after?

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.

Example 1:  Complaints topic:
Use a complaint you have received and get them to analyse 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 to define clearly what it is and how they could make life easier for a person with the disease.  Include getting them to sit and talk to the client about the disease, how it affects them and what they need to do to help them. This gives a better appreciation of what it is like to have this condition.

There are numerous real life situations that occur in your facility or organization that you can use as a fun and practical exercise.

Give groups time to complete the project and present to you or even at a staff meeting.  What better way to enhance the learning of your staff?

While I could put scenario examples in Care Training Online that you could use, what more effective way than using your organization's own real life examples with people you already know.