Good Shepherd Aged Services, Vic

Good Shepherd Aged Services Nursing Home and Hostel in Abbotsford, Vic have each been awarded a Better Practice in Aged Care Award for its staff education program.

The education program is based upon adult learning principles which encourage staff to be autonomous and self-directed, takes into account life experience and individual knowledge, is goal oriented, relevant, practical and respectful of individual abilities.

The main aim of the education program is to improve the quality of care for residents by ensuring that all staff are well informed of their roles and responsibilities, and have been given the requisite training and support to perform their duties competently and confidently, provide absolute resident centred care, whilst striving to continue to maintain a high level of satisfaction from residents and relatives. The entire education program utilises a number of different mediums to facilitate learning for all staff. Direct feedback from staff, and key clinical indicators, are used as a performance measure regarding the education program.

Components of the education program include:

• Orientation - areas of particular focus and competency testing include manual handling, infection control, fire, safety and security and medication management. A new employee is also mentored with a senior member of staff.
• Competency assessments - overall assessment rating is used to determine an individualised development path and the period under which reassessment will be undertaken.
• Staff development sessions - during 2005, Good Shepherd Aged Services had 44 education sessions and staff and management attended 20 different conferences and seminars. A monthly education calendar is developed that considers the annual training plan and any needs that have been identified by staff as requiring attention. The calendar remains fluid in order to be able to address needs as they arise. Staff development sessions are delivered in a variety of different formats, with games a great success, such as the food quiz, AHH accreditation, occupational health and safety and the infection control quiz.
• Self-directed learning packages - a number of Self Directed Learning Packages have been developed that have the ability to be stand alone training or enhance what is covered in the staff development sessions. Packages include management of falls, management of diabetes, managing challenging behaviours, palliative care, wound management, food safety, continence management, documentation, Huntington's Disease, and manual handling.
• Staff newsletter - Good Shepherd News and Views - the newsletter contains general news from each facility as well as staff news, and articles about current issues relating to aged care and changes to legislative requirements, reinforcement of correct policy and procedures.
• Accreditation board game - assists staff in education about each expected outcome. The game is played regularly, with a prize awarded to the winner.
• Performance improvement plans - initiated where an incident identifies a need for improvement, supported by the home's Educator.
• Poster presentations - the Educator has developed a number of posters to reinforce particular aspects of care, eg. infection control, needlestick injuries, which waste where? and management of hypoglycemia.