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Training Requirements: A World Without EndBy Randall Sigle Providers of long-term care (LTC) face year-round safety training and healthcare in-service requirements. When staffing shortages and high rates of employee turnover are added to the mix, even well-established safety protocols can be difficult to keep current. There are many regulatory requirements that impact LTC, which historically is the second most heavily regulated work environment, trailing only the nuclear energy industry. Near the core of the insurance crisis affecting LTC are numerous hazardous issues that must be planned for and dealt with. Dozens of topics must be reviewed and renewed annually. Regulations and LTC Where does one begin? How can one organize and tame the training beast? It helps to first have a basic understanding of who is monitoring your facility for health and safety hazards, and why. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is concerned with a safe work environment for employees, whereas state and federal surveyors are primarily concerned with the safety and health of residents. While this might appear to impose a double burden on your facility, many safety issues are common to both and a well-structured, general safety program is a good first step toward a practical solution. A partial list of training requirements might include:
What Kind of Training? When it comes to training programs, one size does not fit all. Diverse media resources should be evaluated according to the makeup of the group, the culture of your organization and the available training budget. Every caregiver learns differently, so a cross section of styles must be considered along with formal regulatory requirements for training by state and federal agencies. For new hires, training resources should be brief, focused and repeatable. Three 10-minute videotapes that can be viewed independently on focused topics are usually better than one 30-minute tape covering the same topics, due to limited attention spans and information overload. The saturation point is low for new employees trying to absorb new concepts, terms and procedures. Intermediate-level employees have often gained experience and perspective to begin asking the right questions and to share information with other caregivers. A group format to discuss challenges, fill gaps and refine knowledge and expertise is usually very beneficial. This could take the form of roundtable discussions after in-service meetings. Veteran employees need training reinforcement and updates, and knowledge should be cemented with practical, hands-on training documented with verbal and written testing. An observer can play the role of a surveyor and test the knowledge and performance of the caregiver. A debriefing session in a neutral, non-threatening environment at the end of a practical exam can be a great opportunity for suggesting corrections. Remember that, in the eyes of regulatory officials, training that did not get documented is training that did not occur. It is essential to begin with a good record-keeping system. Outsourcing Training There are many good sources of safety programs and training aids. High-quality in-service training and complete safety programs can be purchased from third party specialists. Safety training videos that conform to the latest regulations of OSHA, state and federal environmental agencies, and surveyors are available from consulting firms, national and state safety councils and leading safety media production companies. Equipment vendors offer training resources like videos and reference guides and may even provide ongoing, value-added services pertaining to safety-related technology. One such safety format is the TIMS program offered by Senior Technologies, which includes annual inservice training, equipment inspection, routine maintenance and service. The facility receives a certificate suitable for framing that demonstrates to surveyors, insurance personnel, residents and their families that you have taken steps to properly maintain your technological systems. Such renewable vendor certification can be beneficial to marketing efforts when differentiating your quality of care. Keeping Current It is important to conduct comprehensive annual facility reviews of safety and regulatory protocols, equipment inspection and adjustment, employee in-service training and train-the-trainer instruction. Dividing these into manageable monthly or weekly themes throughout the year can help heighten safety awareness and provide confidence to residents and their families and friends. If a facility is not large enough to warrant a full-time safety director on staff, these tasks can be divided among several staff members if each understands their roles and responsibilities. By making this division of duties part of the job description, a manageable succession of responsibility can usually be achieved, even in an environment of relatively high turnover. Annual reviews of safety programs and updates can take place in an open forum such as the facility safety committee, where concerned residents and family members could be invited to observe. Is your facility safe and in compliance to state regulations? Are there new and better methods available to promote resident and staff safety? Years after installation, how can you feel confident that safety equipment is still tuned to manufacturer specifications and that it is working properly? If any of these questions go unanswered, your facility remains vulnerable to serious and ongoing risk for liability and loss. Change is a given. When it comes to complying with state and federal regulations, affecting positive change in a predicable and structured manner is possible and is your responsibility. Randall Sigle is a product manager with Senior Technologies, a supplier to long-term care companies.
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