Designing and implementing lab CE programs - continuing education

Medical Laboratory Observer, Jan, 1995 by Marcia F. Stowell

Is attendance waning at your CE programs? Do you and staff dread the task? Here's how to breathe life back into programs near death or to start up brand new ones.

DOES THIS SOUND FAMILIAR? An enthusiastic staff member is chosen to serve as part-time education coordinator and set up a series of continuing education (CE) programs for the laboratory staff. A great deal of work, much on the coordinator's own time, goes into the task and the first session is a success. As the series progresses, however, staff members find it increasingly difficult to get away from work assignments and attendance wanes. Eventually both staff and coordinator begin to dread the sessions; it's just too much work and not enough benefit.

Anyone who has been involved in setting up an on-site CE program has likely experienced the above scenario to at least some degree. Placing blame for a failed program on unsupportive management and disinterested staff is an exercise in futility. The key is to head off these outcomes before they occur through careful program design and a positive outlook.

Whether designing or revising a CE program, confront the challenge as you would a new job--with enthusiasm; it will transfer to others. Following are a few guidelines to help you on the road to success.

* Getting started. If the challenge seems insurmountable, start small. A few well received programs will leave you with something on which to build. Too heavy a schedule that too quickly becomes burdensome will hinder progress down the line. Strive for quality versus quantity, and make sure you incorporate educational components required by your regulatory agencies.

Networking from the beginning will help you locate resources, make contacts, and uncover successful examples to emulate. Others who have been through the process usually will gladly share successes and failures with you.

* Choose the best person. When choosing someone to direct, coordinate, or assist with a CE program, a common error is to pick someone who has no educational experience. Since the educational component of a lab is often the last to be developed and the first to be deleted during hard times, starting and keeping a program rolling requires a person with ingenuity, assertiveness, and knowledge of regulatory requirements.

While the director is generally not the speaker or content expert at the sessions, some basic knowledge of all of the program topics is necessary. Other key requirements include experience in directing group work; knowledge and skills in needs assessment, program development, and evaluation; knowledge in systems analysis or program design; and experience with multimedia equipment and distance learning techniques.

Above all, excellent interpersonal skills and patience are critical since the director will be working with not only lab staff but speakers and topic experts, managers, supervisors, and off-site networking partners, all of whom have limited time for educational endeavors.

* Obtain management's support. At a minimum you will need your key decision makers and supervisors to make time to meet with you. You need their assurance that CE will be considered an essential component of the work environment. No aspect of quality improvement in the laboratory is completely free and staff education is no exception; time and resources must be invested in staff development to maintain quality work. This translates into assigning personnel to the job and allowing scheduled time for staff and supervisors to meet, to participate in planning, and to attend programs. Depending on your approach, it may require at least initial funding, although much of the cost can be defrayed once the program gets started. It also mandates recognition by staff and management that at least some components of the CE program will be required by every employee.

How do you approach management? This is a business endeavor, so present your program as a package with specific information on program goals, objectives, implementation strategies, costs, benefits, time and personnel requirements, time frames for expected progress, and program evaluation. Be creative, serious, and constructive. Everything doesn't have to be decided in the first meeting, but the more organized and focused you are, the more likely support will be forthcoming. A list of objectives to be accomplished in the first 6 months will help your managers know how much time and assistance you will require.

In addition to explaining indirect, unmeasurable benefits, such as improved employee morale, be sure to point out measurable ones. Present the program as a marketing tool to increase the visibility of your facility, staff, and lab test menu.

Follow-up meetings may cover a more detailed agenda for the first year, job descriptions for CE program planners, a plan to assess your staffs needs, and a marketing plan to increase the visibility of the laboratory. Don't forget to bring documentation of regulatory requirements for CE to show that it is no longer optional. This will require working with safety and quality assurance officers to research and extract pertinent sections from CLIA and OSHA regulations, and from accrediting, certifying, and licensing agency documents applicable to your facility.