How To Impart Real-World Experience In Healthcare Online Training
Healthcare employees must be able to provide patients with quality care and follow company protocols to the letter. Having a well-rounded bedside manner is also a plus. They deal with stressful and potentially life-threatening situations on a daily basis, which means that there's little time for a learning curve. One of the best ways to prepare them for every eventuality is to impart real-world experience in your healthcare online training program. Here are 7 real-world online training activities that you may want to consider for your healthcare online training.
1. 'Worst-Case' Branching Scenarios
Healthcare employees often have to deal with emergency situations even if they aren't working directly with patients in a medical environment. For example, those working in a call center may have to handle upset customers who are unhappy about their premiums. You can equip your healthcare employees with the real-world experience they need to overcome common obstacles by incorporating worst-case branching scenarios. Namely, branching scenarios that tackle the extremes, such as life-threatening situations that mimic the pressure they'll encounter on the job. Just make sure that you also cover obstacles that fall in the middle of the spectrum. The goal is to mentally prepare your healthcare employees, not scare them away before they enter the workplace.
2. Immersive Online Training Simulations
Online training simulations give employees the ability to immerse themselves in real-world situations and challenges minus the risk and negative repercussions. They're allowed to make mistakes and learn from them without having to worry about endangering the well-being of their patients and co-workers. The key is to include as much realism as possible in order to evoke emotion. Your healthcare employees must be able to feel like they are in the middle of the action so that they can test their reactions. For example, the task of drawing a blood sample from a patient takes experience and anatomical knowledge. An online training simulation enables them to practice the process time and again until they get it right. Try to include real-world images, sounds, and characters to enhance immersion.
3. Case Studies
Effective healthcare online training is emotionally-centered. It connects with healthcare employees on a more personal level in order to engage them. Case studies have all the facts and tie into real-world applications. However, you can magnify their power by adding an emotional element. For example, include a case study that explores a patient's prognosis and how the physician handled the treatment. Then describe the emotional dynamics of the situation, such as how the patient coped with the ailment or injury or how the physician put them at ease by taking a more holistic approach. These case studies not only highlight real-world application but also show healthcare employees how to humanize their work processes.
4. Interactive Storytelling
Take storytelling to the next level by adding interactive elements, such as background music, clickable objects, and companion presentations. For example, use an animated rapid eLearning authoring tool to create a cartoon that brings storytelling to life. You can also incorporate audio narrations and images to improve knowledge retention and comprehension. However, all of this hinges on effective storytelling. Start with a plot that centers on real-world problems or situations. Then add characters who are relatable and memorable. You might consider an eLearning storyboard that outlines every scene, aligning each plot point with a learning objective or outcome.
5. 'Patient Perspective' Real-World Examples
It's easy to lose sight of the patient's frame of mind when you're wrapped up in training. But you can help your healthcare employees see things from a different point of view through real-world examples. Specifically, examples that explore the patient's perspective during the process or interactions with healthcare employees. For instance, what they are thinking or feeling during surgery preparation or when trying to find the best insurance coverage on a limited budget. Once again, you can jazz these examples up with audio and visuals to make them even more powerful.
6. Group Collaboration Problem-Solving
Healthcare employees aren't working in isolation. In most cases, they are interacting directly with patients and co-workers. As such, they need to be able to navigate social situations and build interpersonal skills. Group collaboration problem-solving activities encourage them to work with their peers to overcome a common challenge. They must form effective team dynamics and use their online training resources to deal with group conflicts and achieve the desired outcome. Which is exactly what they must do when they enter the workplace. There's even the opportunity to explore different perspectives and beliefs, which allows them to challenge their own assumptions.
7. Workplace Safety Serious Games
Staying safe in the workplace is a serious matter. However, you can make health and safety online training more engaging with the help of bite-sized serious games. Focus on a different compliance topic or task for each game and give healthcare employees the chance to use their skills in order to advance through levels and defeat foes. That foe may even be a germ that threatens to contaminate a sterile environment. Keep in mind that serious games center on immersive stories that tie into real-world objectives. Don't let the characters and game mechanics become a distraction for your healthcare employees. Also, there are a number of rapid eLearning authoring tools which feature serious game templates that can save time and resources.
These real-world online training activities help healthcare employees engage and emotionally connect with the healthcare online training content. They can use their newfound knowledge to provide optimal care for patients or superior service for healthcare consumers. Thus, they are more likely to stay with your organization and continually hone their abilities.
Are you still weighing your online training options? Read the article Online Training For The Healthcare Sector: 4 Benefits And 5 Tips For eLearning Professionals to discover 4 notable benefits of online training in the healthcare sector, as well as 5 top tips.
