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Workbook for Designing, Implementing, and Evaluating a Sharps Injury Prevention Program |
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OPERATIONAL PROCESSES
Education and Training of Healthcare Personnel
IntroductionAnother important element of a sharps injury prevention program is the education and training of healthcare personnel in sharps injury prevention. As part of the program planning process, careful thought should be given to how and when training is provided to ensure that those who need training receive it, and that the training is relevant to those who are being trained.Healthcare Personnel as Adult LearnersAdult learners are very different from child learners. One reason is, unlike children, adults enter the learning process after years of personal experience. Adults have existing knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes that influence what they take from or contribute to a learning opportunity. Adults learn best (i.e., retain and apply the information provided) when:
Unfortunately, much of the education and training of healthcare personnel is more typical of traditional schooling and is provided in the context of meeting regulatory requirements. As such, there is often a resistance or lack of personal motivation to attend lectures or view videotapes or other self-directed teaching tools. In the end, a requirement is met but learning may not have taken place. This workbook provides a reference for those who wish to read more about adult learning theory and teaching methods (106). The remainder of this section discusses various opportunities and methods for training healthcare personnel in order to make it meaningful experience for the learner.
Opportunities for Educating and Training Healthcare PersonnelPerhaps the most obvious opportunity for teaching prevention of sharps
Decide exactly what information each of these teaching opportunities will provide. The sharps injury prevention program baseline assessment (see Organizational Steps, Step 2. Assess Program Operation Processes), should be a guide for educational planning, including ways to reach students, contractors, per diem staff, and others. Content for an Orientation or Annual Training on Sharps Injury PreventionAs mentioned above, adults learn best when the information is relevant to their work. For that reason, it is useful to incorporate local information on sharps injuries and sharps injury prevention in the training. Areas that might be described in the training include the following (if applicable to the group being trained): A description of injuries reported by the facility's personnel:
Information on the hierarchy of controls and how this concept is applied in the facility:
Administrative activities designed to decrease sharps injuries:
If the training is primarily lecture, methods to make the training more interesting might include: Presentation of case studies of exposures (protect the confidentiality of workers involved). At the end of the case presentation, the trainer might engage the audience in a discussion of how to prevent the injury. Facilitating a discussion of audience perceptions of sharps safety in the facility and suggestions for improvement. Teaching ToolsTools to enhance the learning process have evolved over the years, from the simple chalk board to overhead transparencies, paper flip charts, slides, films, and more recently to video- and audio-tapes, teleconferences, computerized and non-computerized self-study programs, interactive video, and other methods. Self-study educational materials enable healthcare personnel to receive training at their own convenience and pace; these are becoming increasingly important. Most healthcare organizations do not have the resources to develop sophisticated educational materials for sharps injury prevention. However, various professional organizations, device manufacturers, and federal agencies (e.g. OSHA, CDC) have materials and staff support that can augment local training for healthcare personnel. As interest in this area grows, it is likely that an increasing number of resources will be available to facilities to use for training.
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Health Topics A-Z This workbook developed and maintained by CDC's Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion - (DHQP Home) Privacy Policy - Accessibility Publish date: February 12, 2004 This page last reviewed February 12, 2004 |