Unique Ways to Train Healthcare Staff to Use Tech Tools

Everyone is usually pretty excited when you have implemented new audio visual (AV) technology in your facility. Since the tech at hand is likely intended to improve your patient experience and/or workflow, it gets a warm welcome – that is, until your staff realizes they will need to learn how to use it. Even if you have tech-savvy employees, training healthcare staff on new technology is not always a cakewalk. Still, it is essential to ensure the adoption of your systems and the results they promise to deliver. To help you out, here are some tips for medical AV tech training. 

Make Employees Feel Heard 

This first step is not so much about training as it is about garnering buy-in. If your team members feel like you have disrupted their processes, and they have had no say in the matter, they are far more likely to rebel against embracing the new solutions. So, invite a discussion. This should ideally happen before you implement the tech, but late is better than never. Explain your goals for the AV systems and how your staff’s day-to-day is likely to benefit. Ask them if they have any questions or concerns, and then take them seriously. 

Collaborate To Overcome Habits

Once you have some semblance of buy-in among your team, it is important to realize that uprooting deep-seated habits is often the hardest part of change. If your front desk employees have always welcomed patients and handled their paperwork, their day will be substantially changed by the self check-in kiosks you are installing. Instead of primarily administrative, their role will now include offering technical support for the kiosks as needed. 

It is important to not only be upfront about any potential changes, but also to encourage your team members’ feedback. How do they feel about their work processes changing? What are their concerns? What kind of support do they need to make this transition successfully? Collaboration is the only way to implement changes that will last. 

Create Mini Pilot Programs

Finally, your team’s interaction with your AV will vary based on which systems you have in place. If you install digital art, for example, only one person will need to manage the system and all other employees’ lives should not change. But if you are implementing nurse call systems or other interactive technology, employees will need to be well-versed in it since they will be the liaison for teaching patients how to use the technology. This is why, in such scenarios, it can be very effective to create mini-pilot programs. 

Start by offering an overview training to all team members who may need to interface with and/or manage the new tech. This is a good starting point, although it is usually not enough to get someone up and running with an entirely new system. So from there, assign test scenarios to your team. Give one staff member the task of instructing another team member how the system works, as if they were a patient, giving them an opportunity to teach what they have learned. Repeat with all employees. 

Then, come up with a scenario in which something goes wrong with the technology. Ask your staff member to walk you through how they would handle that. Putting a little bit of pressure on them during the training process will prepare them to navigate situations with actual patients down the road. 
There is always a learning curve with new technology, no matter how intuitive it is. But, PIVIUM is here to help ensure you and your team get set up properly and can manage your tech for success. Any questions? We would love to help!