Education and Training: It Doesn’t Cost, It Pays

It’s astonishing how often skilled nursing facilities overlook the value of education and training. Case in point? Surveys. A visit from a state surveyor is a lot like being audited by the IRS—stressful, time consuming, and, worst of all, costly. So instead of biting their nails every time the surveyors arrive looking for reasons to cite deficiencies and assess fines, why don’t more administrators invest in education right from the start and avoid the potential fallout?

So many times managers will complain that training is “too expensive,” listing a stream of woes about Medicare, budget restrictions, and inflexible management. Excuses, excuses—enough is enough. Yes, there are costs associated with implementing an effective training solution for your staff, but there is an even greater cost associated with not choosing education.

Think about it—when a facility takes the position that a mandatory inservice is simply a matter of compliance and something to be checked off a to-do list, it increases liability and the potential for higher costs in every area. However, when managers invest in the core value of education and the positive impact it can have on a facility, its staff and its residents, the potential for negative outcomes decreases. In fact, a high-quality education program translates into happier employees, decreased liability, and ultimately a higher standard of care for residents.

Education is never overrated, but it is too often undervalued. And unfortunately education and training are often the first things to go in budget crunches—kind of like saying, “I'm sick, but I have to cut out good, nutritious food to afford my medication.” Sounds pretty ridiculous, right? Not only that, but nowadays it’s easier than ever to help your staff get the training and CE courses they need, especially since the convenience of online training eliminates the scheduling hassles, travel and materials costs linked to traditional learning.

The bottom line is this: If your facility is struggling in any way, the answer is education. From HIPAA privacy standards to MDS changes, to current healthcare trends and even professional skills training for your non-licensed staff, no doubt your problems can be solved or avoided altogether by investing in the right training solution. Education is always the answer, and it pays—big dividends. But, true to the analogy, to reap the dividend, you have to make the investment first.

Want to learn more about the benefits of a Care2Learn online training solution for your staff? Get more information here.