Talking HealthTech: 361 – Rethinking Nurse Training & Onboarding for Better Care

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In healthcare systems, the onboarding process for new nurses often needs to improve, leaving them with cumbersome printed manuals and a complex intranet to navigate, leading to overwhelming and confusing feelings and hindering their ability to provide adequate care. 

In this episode, Dan Graham from MedApp and Dan Shaw from South Eastern Local Health District discuss how MedApp assists nurses and midwives in accessing clinical and hospital guidelines. Healthcare systems and institutions like South Eastern Local Health District empower their staff to feel capable, confident, and efficient by prioritising timely communication and connection.

Meet Dan Graham

Dan Graham is a seasoned healthcare professional with a diverse background in nursing, management, education, clinical redesign, health infrastructure, and project management. With 17 years of experience in the New South Wales Health public healthcare sector, Dan now serves as the clinical lead nursing midwifery of Medapp. In this role, he ensures that existing customers receive optimal value and experience from the app while exploring new use cases for MedApp technology in nursing and midwifery. Dan’s extensive expertise allows him to effectively collaborate with clinicians and navigate the complex hierarchy of healthcare organisations, leveraging his firsthand experiences to drive meaningful improvements in healthcare delivery.

Streamlining Information with MedApp

MedApp is a powerful mobile tool designed for clinicians and hospitals to address various challenges. This offline-accessible solution offers clinicians hospital guidelines and crucial information even before they arrive, supporting their orientation and education. By eliminating the need for email or traditional forms of communication, MedApp enables seamless interaction between organisations, managers, support teams, and clinicians. It falls under quality and safety, enhancing clinical orientation, communication, and overall well-being. By reducing the cognitive load on new healthcare professionals, MedApp alleviates anxiety and stress while providing essential knowledge at their fingertips.

Meet Dan Shaw

Dan Shaw, a nurse manager for patient experience in South Eastern LHD, has a diverse background in healthcare. He has 17 years of experience in various roles, including chronic disease management, project management, and leadership development. His focuses primarily has been on fall prevention and control, skin integrity, and broader safety and quality initiatives within his portfolio. Through the utilisation of MedApp, Dan Shaw and his team have enhanced the experience of nursing and midwifery professionals, ultimately improving patient care within the region. 

Efficiency Through Technology

MedApp has experienced significant growth in its nursing and midwifery portfolios. The platform has digitised orientation and onboarding processes for nurses and midwives, replacing paper-based materials. It is now widely used in graduate programs and other specialty programs, as well as in day-to-day clinical education and operational information for staff. MedApp’s mobile platform is particularly beneficial in high-turnover environments, providing easy access to orientation and patient safety resources.

A recent quality improvement project in South Eastern Sydney demonstrated the effectiveness of using MedApp for fall prevention management. By providing tailored engagement communication, staff experienced increased awareness and knowledge on the topic. MedApp emerged as the preferred and easily accessible platform for accessing information, surpassing traditional methods like intranets and physical resources. MedApp’s streamlined approach eliminates the need for clunky sources like emails, offering clinicians a more efficient tool for making informed decisions and enhancing their overall awareness.

Simplifying Integration

The platform offers a convenient and accessible way to share essential information, even before their first day. With features like educational resources, orientation schedules, and system integration, MedApp streamlines the process and eliminates the need for bulky handbooks. It has become an essential tool for healthcare organisations in South Eastern LHD, ensuring a smooth transition for new hires.

 

Engaging staff before they start work in a public hospital can be challenging, but it’s crucial for a better onboarding experience. While traditional communication methods like emails or chat groups might be a quick and easy way, it’s not scalable or controlled.  A specialised feature of MedApp can help, as the app offers features like cohort messaging, enabling targeted communication with specific groups of individuals, fostering connections, and a personalised approach to onboarding. 

A Rapid Shift in Healthcare Technology

The journey of implementing a new way of doing things and getting people to use it has been interesting. Initially, in implementing any new technology in the hospitals, there were concerns about engaging staff, especially the grad coordinators, who were accustomed to the old system. The approach was to work with those willing to embrace the change and showcase the successes of the pilot program at Prince of Wales. The focus was on highlighting the benefits for the grads and the coordinators, such as reduced administrative burden and improved access to information. Despite some challenges in engaging staff, the new system’s value became evident, particularly in terms of saving time for clinicians and providing easy access to vital information. The collaborative approach and support from senior leaders and champions played a significant role in expanding the use of the new system beyond the grad program, extending its benefits to other hospital areas.

Efficient information management is crucial in today’s digital age. It saves time, improves productivity, and enhances patient safety and experience. By eliminating the need for printing and compiling physical books, clinicians can access relevant content quickly and focus on their work. Streamlined information systems filter out irrelevant noise, providing the correct information to the right people at the right time. These benefits apply across different areas, transforming how healthcare is delivered. 

A MedApp Success Story on LHD Operation

In 2021, MedApp was introduced to support the vaccination hubs in the Local Health District. The district nursing midwifery team successfully incorporated the app into the Bayside Vaccination Hub and later into the Centennial Park Hub, where over a hundred staff members from various organisations worked together during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. The app helped personnel communicate and share essential information. It allowed the team to connect with new hires, communicate updates, and bond with other health organisations. The platform’s real-time notifications and staff involvement tracking ensured accurate and timely information. MedApp’s performance in vaccination hubs showed its adaptability to LHD clinical settings. It remains vital for communication and collaboration as the district returns to normal operations.

Innovating Aged Care with MedApp

MedApp is expanding into aged care and outpatient services. It helps staff in aged care facilities with orientation, communication, and accessing information. MedApp also supports clinicians in outpatient settings, enabling them to make better decisions and providing essential resources. The platform aims to improve care standards and enhance the quality of care in aged care facilities.

_{Source talkinghealthtech.com}