Four ways that competency-based training can improve patient care

01/04/2015

Taking a competency-based approach to staff training can lead to long term impacts for the healthcare sector.

Competency-based training of healthcare professionals should be designed to deliver improved outcomes for patients, providing an effective balance of practical and theoretical learning with a very specific outcome in mind. Annie Barr Group has regularly developed competency-based training on a tailored basis for clients in the healthcare sector, to ensure that their specific desired outcome is achieved. Approached in this way, the impact of competency-based training can lead to a major shift both in the ability of staff to excel in their jobs, and in the innovation of service design and delivery.

4 ways to improve patient care through training

There are 4 ways that competency-based training can lead to improved patient care, and if these are properly recognised, and effectively harnessed by healthcare organisations, a positive return on investment in training and development is assured:

1. Competency-based training can lead to improved skills and new ways of working for healthcare professionals;
   Through committing to training and development, healthcare organisations are overtly demonstrating that they value their staff, their expertise and knowledge;
2. Investing in competency-based training for the increasing number of healthcare assistants has a ripple effect on increasing capacity across the healthcare organisation – as healthcare assistants improve in their confidence and ability they are more able and willing to take on tasks traditionally delivered by other healthcare professionals. Without this investment healthcare assistants feel under-valued and in turn have a limited impact;
3. A further significant benefit of engaging healthcare assistants in competency-based training has been experienced many times over through Annie Barr Group healthcare training courses;
4. Ideas and opinions emerge through the training process, and through peer support and encouragement healthcare assistants feel empowered to return to their organisations and make suggestions that lead to practical service improvements that make a real difference to organisational efficiency and patient care.