Why updating staff education is vital?
Long Term Care facilities are under accumulative pressure to upgrade staff development opportunities and evaluate their annual staff education. This pressure stems from the need for facilities to implement, monitor, and track staff competency training as required by law. Additional pressure stems from the intense scrutiny facilities endured during the COVID-19 pandemic and performance gaps identified by government surveyors, leaving many people questioning the vigilance of skilled nursing facility staff to perform their roles in a way that attains quality standards and resident satisfaction.
Staffing shortages merged with many modifications that commonly occur in the senior living industry, add to education pressures mentioned above. Accordingly, the need to train and develop all staff working in the home in all different positions, can limit attention to staff development opportunities. Organizations do this in a variety of ways but staffing shortages, or lack of financial resources, frequently prohibit some facilities from having a designated person in this role that oversees and manages education.
Some key areas to consider when creating a staff education and development plan include:
- Orientation and onboarding
- Competency management
- Education
- Role development
- Research/evidence-based practice/quality improvement
- Re-evaluation of education content
Our team of experts at IPAC Consulting Inc., have worked tirelessly to create a solid foundation of theoretical IPAC concepts consisting of modules that you can build upon, are current and stem from best practice. IPAC Consulting offers different educational products that are focused in on the different departments in the home. Some of the following topics:
- The Role of IPAC and the IPAC Lead
- Managing an Infection Prevention Program in LTC
- Monitoring the Health of the Community (Employee Health)
- Quality Assurance in Long-Term Care
- Interdisciplinary Services
- PPE
- Infectious Diseases
- Surveillance and Epidemiologic Investigation
- CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- COVID-19 Basics
- Infectious Disease Processes: Basic Microbiology
- Multi-Drugs Resistant Organisms
- Antimicrobial Stewardship
- Influenza and Vaccination
- Cleaning, Disinfecting & Sterilization
- Device-Associated Infections
- Outbreak Investigation
- The IPAC Lead as an Educator
- Environmental Cleaning/Disinfection
- IPAC Practices for Dietary Leads
The roles and responsibilities of those in charge with training, onboarding and professional staff development will continue to evolve with the demands and needs of the long-term care industry. It is very important to stay current on all the upcoming trends, policies and guidelines and we are here to make sure your staff get the education they need to excel in all positions!
