Keys to Success:  The Benefits of Training

If you’ve been following our blog over the last few weeks, this is #4 in our series on EP education.  See our previous blogs for a detailed description of this ground-breaking training. Today we’re sharing keys to success from Duke University Heart Hospital’s training.

Duke University Heart Hospital’s EP lab leadership believes that having the right combination of training resources made a big difference in the overall experience and results they were able to achieve.

In the search for a training firm they explored all the options.  Many education firms offered offsite training only, placing a limit on the learning time and making an ongoing sustainable model more difficult. Other companies tended to offer online, lecture-style courses only. However, Duke concluded that customized in-person training, a shorter program length, ongoing/sustainable legacy digital education and lower costs were the right combination to best meet their needs. Learn more about how training can improve your lab here.

Benefits of this type of program included:

• Better met staff’s education needs with a customized in-person training program. This approach gave Duke 100 percent on the job, “shoulder-to-shoulder” training from a live EP expert. Other programs offer standard online or lecture only models with a focus on the basics, which most allied staff already know.  Or they require the staff to come to them, placing a limit on the learning time and making an ongoing sustainable model more difficult. In a Duke survey, 75 percent were “very likely/likely” to recommend on-site training and education to others.
• Improved learning efficiency with a customized assessment of EP lab staff. Based on the findings, the training was tailored to the staff’s actual competency level, according to various assessments which also included an assessment from physicians, management and the consulting firm’s trainers.  Two-year programs often provide more general education, are costly and logistically prohibitive for the full-time Duke employee.
• Improved engagement and fostered a “culture of learning.” With Duke’s investment in staff education, employees were encouraged to learn and take their skills to the next level. Survey results demonstrated that 79 percent rated their achievement and motivation levels following the training as “excellent/above average.”  Additionally, 74 percent ranked the impact the training made on the department’s culture and goals as “excellent/above average.
• Helped employees achieve greater competency and a sense of accomplishment more quickly with a shorter training program. With a six month vs. a two-year program, it allowed the hospital to train existing professionals with work experience instead of new graduates with no real-world lab experience.
• Achieved a significant cost savings with a shorter onsite training program. In fact, a shorter program can result in up to an 80% savings when comparing it to a two-year program at $25,000-$36,000 per student, depending on department size and program level.
• Provided faster ability to make an impact on the job. Since the staff was enhancing their expertise while on the job, they were able to achieve faster knowledge transfer.
• Retained quality staff through the mentorship committee which provides leadership and growth opportunities to more experienced, high-competency team members.
• Improved knowledge retention with a digital legacy training program This training is now available as EP Academy.

Read the rest of the article here.

Education has proven to improve employee engagement, reduce retention and improve overall lab efficiency. To hear first hand about the training Duke implemented and the benefits they experienced sign up for our upcoming webinar on March 27  at 11 am EST. 

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