In the Know
We’ve been fortunate to have so much helpful feedback from nursing supervisors over the years. In this blog entry, we will share some creative ideas that will keep your continuing education classes fresh and exciting.
Like it the old fashioned way?
Are you looking for new ways to present In the Know Inservices to your staff members? We’ve been fortunate to have so much helpful feedback from nursing supervisors over the years. In this blog entry, we will share some creative ideas that will keep your continuing education classes fresh and exciting.
- Try handing out the supplied puzzles and word searches the day before the classes so your CNAs know how much they need to learn. From what might presumably be quite a few wrong answers, or from the multiple questions that they can’t answer, they will understand the importance of the upcoming inservice training session.
- Some supervisors tell us that they have improved their aides’ attitudes towards their monthly classes by making them more interactive. Everyone likes to offer input. Allowing each aide the chance to offer their perspective on the topic improves the training atmosphere immensely.
- Try splitting your class into two or more groups. Have each group come up with a discussion question for another group to answer. This promotes leadership, problem solving, self-reliance and cohesiveness among the aides.
- Another supervisor told us that she pulls interesting facts from each of our inservices and distributes them on separate strips of paper to the class. Throughout the inservice, she asks each participant to read his or her fact to the class.
- Some nurses keep the interest level high by having each aide “teach” an inservice topic once a year, with the assistance of the inservice coordinator. This opportunity helps the aides practice assertiveness (a much needed asset for working with difficult clients) and also allows them to shine in a public presentation.
- We’ve heard about a supervisor that tapes a $5 bill in two or three copies of the inservice each month. Word is that the CNAs get very excited about “winning the prize” every month.
- Additional pay per hour is offered by some administrators if any of their aides complete a certain number of In the Know inservices in a year.
- After the inservice has been presented, some instructors ask each participant to tell the class something new that they have learned about the topic.
If you have used other games or can think of some fun ways to present an inservice topic, we’d love to hear from you. Please leave your comments! Thanks and happy teaching!
Evan Leekley
In the Know, Inc.
[email protected]
