Bridging the Generational Gap with Leadership Development

Challenge

As a smaller facility with a lot of different programs - nurse residency, certified nursing assistant training, onsite training for medical assistants and phlebotomy, to name a few - Gritman Medical Center does a lot of training and development. They like to provide small class, in-person training, not just for their own employees - other local facilities look to them for assistance with certification training as well. When it came to their leadership development program, they needed a lot of flexibility and a program that could work for a population that spanned both new and seasoned employees, some who had been with the hospital for 40 years.

Solution

As a small hospital with 17 clinics, Arika Jenson, the Director of Education, was looking for a leadership program that was "Gritman-specific" and would work for all of their departments. When they brought on Leadership Development, they created a curriculum of six sessions that included assigned online programs within the HealthStream program and in-person sessions over a three month period, called Fundamentals for Gritman Leaders. Jensen encouraged participants to do the coursework assignments before coming to the in-person sessions. She also recently began an Emerging Leaders workshop, for office managers and similar positions, which would be a less intensive one-day workshop. All participants in the programs received access to all of the Leadership Development courses.

Result

The programs have been well-received, with many participants pleased that they can complete coursework on their own time, from anywhere. It has also been helpful in bridging the generation gap - some departments have employees spanning from ages 18 to 70, so the diversity courses help spur conversation around accommodating the variety of generations within the workplace. Overall, employees have adjusted well to the online assessment portion and have indicated satisfaction with the experience.