TitleAuthor??™s NameInstitutionTraining and education in healthcare Training is essentially learning by doing which should improve performance in an activity while education can be defined as a learning process including a mix of knowledge, skills and experience so as to reach solutions. The two are important factors in healthcare provision since staying healthy is quite important to every person.
There are many reasons why training and education are vital in healthcare and why this field requires measuring competencies. Tracking and evaluation of the training??™s effectiveness is also quite essential in healthcare education and training. As mentioned earlier, being of good health is of great importance to any individual and thus trusting ones health to any individual is a really weighty personal issue. One needs to be assured of every healthcare practitioner??™s outstanding medical knowledge complemented with great professionalism since, as a healthcare consumer, one isn??™t just making a product purchase but seeking a better quality of life and many more years of a great and healthy existence all as a product of health care practitioners??™ knowledge. Also, the healthcare field, like any other, is changing everyday in terms of knowledge and thus the continued education and training is of great significance on the health of patients. The professional capability of any practitioner is what makes healthcare provision a success and having great skills and a good education makes one quite valuable in the field since one is at a better position to provide the quality care that patients deserve and expect; this in turn enhances healthcare providers??™ career satisfaction (Storey, 2002).
A quality education and training is also a requirement for certification in some cases and also attracts premium healthcare institutions showing their significance to the any healthcare provider??™s career. All institution??™s performance is dependent on the staff??™s knowledge, and a greatly knowledgeable staff will always translate to better performance. The reputation of any healthcare organization rests on the staff and the healthcare providers with a good training are more likely to provide the best care for healthcare consumers. Satisfied customers will recommend the institution to others and praise its staff??™s performance. Healthcare providers are also in the field to make a difference and a meaningful contribution since they care about their patients and thus they understand the importance of education and training to achieve these ambitions. In the healthcare provision field, measuring competencies is of great importance.
Competence as an outcome of education and training is highly valued and increasingly addressed by healthcare professionals and as such the competence of healthcare providers needs to be kept in check especially due to the sensitivity and criticality of the field (Storey, 2002). Healthcare consumers are also increasingly demanding competence in providers and this has led to regulators certifying and expecting proficiency while policy makers are also consistently lauding the practice. Competence assessment is also beneficial for the future in healthcare provision since it fosters learning among professionals in the field while providing a mechanism for evaluating progress (Storey, 2002). Measuring competence is useful for determining curriculum effectiveness as well as the efficaciousness of the training program in use. This helps in the revision of the training curriculum and thus results in advances in the healthcare field while also protecting the public and maintaining quality standards in the profession. Measuring competencies is thus very important in healthcare as well as in the field??™s education and training. The process of tracking and evaluating training effectiveness is very crucial in healthcare education and training especially in measuring competence.
The Kirkpatrick Model is the most popular means used in tracking and evaluating the effectiveness of the training program. Its basic structure is a four level model; level one (reaction) is used to determine the participants??™ reaction to the program, level two (learning) is used to determine the extent to which the participants improved their knowledge and skills as a result of the training, level three (behavior) tracks the extent to which the participants alter their behavior at the workplace as a result of the training and the final level, level four (results), which determines the benefits to the organization as a result of the training (Kirkpatrick, 1987). Taking a deeper look into the process of tracking and evaluation using the Kirkpatrick Model, at the reaction level, one will need to gain feedback from the participants using a questionnaire or through informal comments made by them.
Focus group sessions will also be useful to achieve the level??™s objectives. Once one has determined the participant??™s general reaction, the learning level is next in line. At the learning level, tests score from before and after the training began will be of great use for comparison in order to gauge whether the training is having any effect. On-the-job assessments will also prove informative, especially in cases where a supervisor??™s report is available on the training participants. Following the second level, the behavior level is next. At this level, completed self-assessment questionnaires and on-the-job observation will provide information showing whether there are any behavioral changes as a result of the training program (Kirkpatrick, 1987). Reports from customers will also be relevant at this level of the evaluation process.
The final results level will indicate whether the training has resulted in a positive outcome for the organization. Financial reports and quality inspections will indicate any changes to the organization??™s operations and if the changes correspond to the training timeline (Kirkpatrick, 1987). Once the evaluation is completed, any lessons learned from it on how to make the training more effective should be acted upon. Workforce training is a very important issue in healthcare just as in any other field. Continuous competence measuring and evaluation of training are also crucial to the field??™s success too. In this light, it is thus important to understand how to measure competencies and evaluate the effectiveness of training programs in healthcare so as to invest in quality education and training since the education and training of healthcare providers is essential for the success of any healthcare system. ReferencesKirkpatrick, D. (1987) More evaluating training programs: a collection of articles from Training and Development Journal.
Alexandria, VA: American Society for Training and Development. Storey, L. (2002) Competency in healthcare: A practical guide to competency frameworks. Oxford: Radclife Medical Press.
