Over the past few weeks, I have had the pleasure of working with the nurses of BronxCare and sharing the Nurse/Patient Partnership experience. Reading through hundreds of evaluations taught me how much they value time where they can gather and focus on what they bring to their roles each day.
There’s no disputing that nurses are busy, making it difficult to spend time in a classroom reviewing essential communication and engagement skills. Yet each day I spent with them, I learned more about what they value and why this time together was so important, especially for training. They value having time to discuss content, role-play, and get feedback from peers. They value community.
Online vs. In-Person Training
Over the past several years, the term training has become consistent with one-and-done computer programs where participants log in, play the content, and log out. The computer program tabulates their log in and whether they hit the completion button. What it doesn’t show is how the individual learner will apply the content in real-life situations. That is where real transformation happens. Adult learners synthesize information with deeper understanding as they discuss, react, and use critical thinking in real-time. They learn from each other as much as from the content and the trainers.
Over the years, I have come to know that in their day-to-day grind, most nurses don’t have the time to connect with and learn from one another. That doesn’t mean their desire for community has declined.
Similarly, I believe every nurse truly wants to create a great patient experience but pressuring them and shoving scores under their noses won’t foster change. When patient experience scores are weaponized, nurses feel resentful but openly embrace solutions that will make them more successful in improving every interaction. That is what I witnessed from nurses in the Nurse/Patient Partnership class.
Creating Community in Your Organization
If your patient experience needs a refresh, let us share the Nurse/Patient Partnership. Your nurses will leave feeling inspired, empowered, and ready to apply new communication skills with the knowledge they can shape the patient experience.
Contact us today to see how we can tailor a patient experience improvement solution for your organization. Contact us today or schedule a free 30-minute consultation here.
Tags: community, company culture, learning, learning and development
