careLearning

Keeping employees trained appropriately and ensuring their skills and competencies are up to date are constant challenges for hospitals. The cost of developing appropriate curriculum, searching for adequate instruction and finding the time to train staff has led hospitals to find alternatives to traditional education. The Iowa Hospital Association, 40 other hospital associations and the American Hospital Association partnered to create careLearning, a not-for-profit, internet-based education delivery and management solution for hospitals. careLearning is:

• Convenient: You can access online programs anytime, anywhere.
• Professional: Educational modules are produced in an entertaining, multimedia format using professional narration and animation to capture and keep learner interest.
• Interactive: Learners participate by answering questions and reacting to situations.
• Competency-based: Each module starts with a pretest that allows the learner to "test out" of the module. After completing the module, a post-test determines learning achievement.
• Transcript-based: Learner transcripts are kept online. Administrators can access records and track learner progress. Records also are portable and transfer from hospital to hospital or state to state.
• Comprehensive and cost-effective: Modules can be bought individually or as part of a subscription, making careLearning a simple and affordable way to keep health care professionals up to date on mandatory training, and regulatory and policy issues.

For more information about careLearning, contact Jen Nutt , vice president, nursing and clinical services, 515-288-1955.

Offered by careLearning, careSkills is a comprehensive competency-management system that helps hospitals identify and understand the skills needed to be successful in their organizations through competency and performance courses.

careSkills is populated with skills required for successful performance by clinical and nonclinical employees, and they are easy to customize. The system creates automated assessments making it easy to collect and track employee competence and eliminate misplaced documents.

careSkills helps organizations in each step of the process, from setting goals to feedback and review, so the appraisal reflects what happens throughout the year.

careLearning's Passport Program provides students participating in clinical rotation programs education that orients them quickly and effectively for all sites they may report to. There are no fees to the health care facility or college for this program. Students each pay $10 either through careLearning's site or through student fees at their respective schools. The program can:

• Consolidate the requirements of students.
• Lower resource costs for health care organizations and clinical rotation partners.
• Reduce coordination and resources at colleges and universities.
• Provide a reliable, trusted source to keep education up to date.
• Create consistency.
• Further student knowledge and skill.
• Save time for students, colleges and facilities.