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Why You Should Adopt a Team Approach for Surgical Orientation

October 23, 2024
October 23, 2024

Traditional training methods to ensure quality and patient safety during surgeries and perioperative processes may not be the most effective way to train your surgical team, panelists said in a recent webinar we hosted.

The webinar, titled “A Team Approach to Surgical Orientation,” was moderated by HealthStream’s Raegan Phillips, marketing coordinator, and featured:

  • Chris McElvogue, PhD., Director, Product Management
  • Jess Ellis, BSN, RN, Director, Content Development
  • Trisha Coady, BSN, RN, CPM, Senior Vice President, Workforce Development

The group of panelists discussed the advantages of using an interdisciplinary, multimodal approach when developing surgical orientation programs. They suggested this multimodal learning approach can improve a user’s learning experience as they have an opportunity to learn within different formats, including simulations, skills checklists, or traditional didactic methods where the teacher presents information to students in a structured and consistent way.

Key Steps to Optimizing Surgical Orientation Programs

There are certain elements that should be incorporated into a surgical orientation program to make it effective for the user. Collaboration and teamwork are two essential components. Coady shared that learners want to learn together, and she encouraged organizations to foster an environment where this collaboration can exist.

Coady noted these benefits when describing the effectiveness of utilizing a team approach:

  • Improves staff engagement
  • Reduces training time
  • Allows staff to learn what happens in the operating room
  • Teaches staff how their jobs impact other department roles
  • Allows for simulation activities

HealthStream’s Surgical Orientation Program does use a team approach to educate learners. Our program also contains content that is applicable for the entire perioperative team. The panelists explained that HealthStream’s team-centered program reduces seat time, as leaders can select content and assign modules to team members based on their specific learning needs. Dr. McElvogue noted that the program was developed using input from customers who made recommendations on what to include in a surgical orientation program.

Building Competency with a Blended Learning Approach

Blended learning is an educational approach that allows instructors to leverage different technology tools, pedagogic strategies, and learning experiences. It often combines a traditional classroom setting and online learning activities.

Microlearning is one aspect of blended learning. Ellis believes that leaders and learners will appreciate the microlearning that is offered with HealthStream’s surgical orientation program. Studies have shown that microlearning helps to improve knowledge retention and reduces learning fatigue.

The small, focused units of content can be customized by the user or the educator. Therefore, learning modules can be configured to meet the learning requirements for every role, any surgical procedure, and every organization.

The content was developed with input from subject matter experts who represent a variety of disciplines. So, there are modules that focus on physicians, physician assistants, nurses, advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs), surgical technologists, and specialists. In addition, when instructors are unavailable, onscreen simulations can be utilized by learners.

The goal of HealthStream’s surgical orientation program, which was created to ensure that regulatory standards and guidelines were met, was to develop a program that provided learners with the appropriate knowledge, skills, and judgement while using a team approach. Creating a strong surgical team is essential for healthcare facilities to thrive. Surgical team members not only need to develop skills to adequately perform their jobs, but they also need to understand how their work integrates and functions within the team.

To learn more about how this blended and team-based learning approach can help ensure that your surgical team can deliver optimal surgical care, contact HealthStream today.

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