School at Work

Thursday, February 23, 2012

School at Work (SAW) is the premier career development system for entry-level workers in healthcare. Our customers use SAW to grow a workforce from its foundation. Over six months, SAW’s blended-learning instructional model helps students refresh essential skills and gain an understanding of healthcare-specific subjects. Students develop a customized Career and Learning Plan to guide advancement after SAW completion. The result: an engaged and motivated workforce committed to the highest standard of patient care.

SAW students possess the potential to advance into higher level positions but need a bridge to help them take the next step in the development process. The typical student is 25-50 years old and has a high school diploma or GED. These employees often work in admissions, dietary, environmental service, housekeeping, or as a nurse's aide.

School at Work Overview Video

Benefits
How it Works
Curriculum
Career Planning
Outcomes
Site Support
Check List

The Proven SAW System Helps Hospitals

Increase Patient Satisfaction and support HCAHPS ratings/Joint Commission Safety goals. Students gain:

Self confidence that translates to a higher level of organizational performance.

Effective communication and grammar skills that impact a patient’s perception of care.

Knowledge about principals of patient satisfaction and safety. Content includes: improved accuracy of patient identification; improved effectiveness of communication between caregivers; and improved recognition and response to changes in a patient’s condition

"Presenting the business case for SAW to our senior leadership was simple -- in a tight labor market, it makes good business sense to invest in our co-workers. SAW enhances the Mercy values; it increases retention, rewards loyalty, promotes diversity, and positions St. John's Health System as an Employer of Choice."

Jim Brookhart, Vice President of Human Resources
Sisters of Mercy's St. John's Health System

Increase Employee Engagement/Boost Morale and Loyalty:

Annual ROI studies show that employees feel the hospital (and management) really cares about them and their future.

Improve performance and productivity in current position: Supervisor feedback shows improvement in a variety of job indicators.

“Grow from Within”. SAW is used:

To build a pipeline to fill future critical needs by increasing the number of internal promotions, especially into nursing and allied health positions.

To prepare students for job advancement by coaching them on time and stress management, as well as concentration techniques.

As “college prep”. SAW students need a “bridge” before entering local community college certificate and degree programs. 33% of SAW students enroll in continuing education within 90 days of completing School At Work.

Diversify Clinical and Management Staff

A number of hospitals wish to have a caregiver workforce which mirrors their patient population. SAW classes are typically 65-70% ethnically diverse. For organizations looking to increase the number of minority employees in clinical and management positions, SAW is a way to identify and propel high-potential employees.

Reduce Turnover

This “hard dollar” benefit is the easiest to quantify and the most compelling for financially-oriented organizations. ROI studies have demonstrated 8-23% higher retention in SAW students than category average.

Increase Nurse Satisfaction

In a recent study Nursing/Clinical supervisors rated SAW’s impact on nurse satisfaction and reported improved willingness to collaborate with others to produce better patient outcomes.
SAW students gain increased understanding that all departments impact a patient’s perception of the hospital

Bringing the Power of Technology to the Classroom

Classroom Sessions

School at Work classes meet once a week for two hours. This strengthens team building, communications and studying skills—all essential for reintroduction to academic environments.

Blended learning model combines a site coach with: DVD Instruction Internet Activities Workbook Assignments		Week 1
		Week 2
		Week 3
		Week 4
* First session is online pre-assessment.

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Healthcare-Specific Content Links to Adult Learning Principles

All of Catalyst Learning’s curriculum is healthcare-specific and geared for employees who have demonstrated a commitment to the industry. SAW applies accelerated learning design principals to maximize knowledge retention. This means that a combination of strategically placed activities engage multiple senses and create an active learning environment. The activities capitalize on the experience and existing knowledge of adult learners employed in healthcare and build the confidence needed for success.

Module 1: Succeeding in School at Work and Moving up the Career Ladder

Use SAW to make you a more valued employee

Apply SAW strategies to help you establish a career plan

Assess your current knowledge level

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Module 2: Life Management Skills

Work with a variety of goal-setting techniques to obtain targeted work and personal results

Put time management techniques into action to realize more control over your work and personal life

Learn to identify causes of stress and explore stress management strategies

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Module 3: Mastering Communication in the Workplace

Distinguish between verbal and nonverbal communication

Understand the steps in the communication process

Recognize and identify different communication styles

Exercise effective communication skills that meet patient safety and satisfaction standards

Realize the importance of being a team player

Learn about basic tools for managing conflict situations

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Module 4: Principles of Patient Safety and Satisfaction

Recognize the importance of the HCAHPS survey

Cite reasons why patient satisfaction scores are important to you, and ways you can take ownership in making a positive impact

Define a safe healthcare environment

Understand the importance of “first do no harm”

Recognize the different influences upon patient safety

at the Individual level—(including patients, caregivers, visitors, and you)

at the Organizational level—(meaning, your hospital)

Module 5: Grammar in the Workplace

Identify key parts of speech (nouns, pronouns, and verbs) and how they function in sentences

Use punctuation marks correctly to make sentences and paragraphs clear

Avoid some of the most commonly made and distracting grammar errors

Avoid confusion among words that look alike or are similar in spelling or sound but have different meanings

Module 6: Reading in the Workplace

Find main ideas and identify important supporting details

Define the correct meaning of a word, whether stated explicitly or implicitly in the text

Classify documents according to their purpose

Apply techniques for reading comprehension

Learn to summarize or draw conclusions from reading material

Module 7: Writing in the Workplace

Apply the four steps of the writing process to different workplace topics

Write paragraphs using topic sentences and supporting details

Implement techniques for improved writing skills including writing legibly, writing often, and applying the 3 Cs of writing: clear, concise, and concrete

Integrate customer-focused writing techniques into business writing

Apply proven note-taking techniques

Recognize key building blocks for developing effective resumes

Module 8: Applying Math in the Workplace, Part 1

Solve workplace problems that require a single type of mathematics operation (addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division) using whole numbers

Define: fraction, numerator, denominator, proper fraction, improper fraction, mixed number and equivalent fractions

Perform the basic operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division using fractions

Add or subtract negative numbers

Convert simple money and time units (e.g., hours to minutes)

Module 9: Applying Math in the Workplace, Part 2

Perform the basic operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division using decimals

Given workplace scenarios, change numbers from one form to another using whole numbers, fractions, decimals, or percentage

Module 10: Medical Terminology, Part 1

Define common prefixes, suffixes, and root words in medical terminology

Combine prefixes, suffixes, and root words in medical terminology to form new medical terms

Use medical terminology book to find the meaning of medical words

Translate medical terms and abbreviations

Module 11: Medical Terminology, Part 2

Use the medical terminology reference book to find the meaning of medical words

Recall the medical terms used to describe body positions

Use medical terminology book to find the meaning of medical words

Identify and recall the parts of a cell including the nucleus, cytoplasm, and chromosomes

Module 12: Planning for Your Future

Evaluate strategies for moving up the career ladder, including continuing education and job advancement opportunities

Describe various healthcare careers, including non-clinical careers

Assess your knowledge level at the end of SAW

Align Employer Needs with Employee Goals

Students have access to Catalyst Learning’s Career and Learning Plan (CLP) Center to complete a four step career exploration process. The CLP is rich with resources to help your employees learn about themselves and the opportunities available within your organization. The CLP Center epitomizes the Catalyst Learning mission to align employee and employer goals and help employees realize their full potential.

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the CLP Center activities.

Features of the CLP Center Include

Customized Career Interest Survey

Career Interest Survey
The CLP Center’s healthcare-specific Career Interest Survey is a self assessment tool that provides your employee with an objective look at personal interests, as applied to jobs in your unique environment. After completing an interest survey, each employee receives an extensive report customized to the healthcare industry.

Students receive list of top job groups after completing survey

Jobs Database and Videos

The next two steps of the process, “Exploring and Investigating Career Options” are completed in the Research Section, which includes an in-depth description of over 225 healthcare jobs in 23 different categories. Employees have access to brief job shadowing videos that enhance the exploration process. By learning about the skills needed for specific jobs, employees confidently explore careers they know are a good fit and quickly eliminate other jobs without the time and expense of job shadowing.

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Tools to Fine-Tune the Customized Career Plan

Employees prepare for the future using the CLP Center’s wide array of tools to qualify career direction and prepare them for college and/or their next position. Tools include self-paced PowerPoint presentations on professional development topics such as Communication, Professional Image, Resume Writing, Interviewing Skills, and Networking. An extensive School Search database provides links to local higher-education institutions, allowing employees to investigate local healthcare programs prior to speaking with their advisor and/or your tuition reimbursement representative

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Each learning module contains activities related to the completion of the individual career and learning plan. The CLP marries the hospital's workforce needs with the employee's goals. Activities are completed during the on-line weekly session, where students have the benefit of help from the Coach and peers. Employees will:

Assess current job, skills, and personality
Begin the important task of building a resume
Research career steps and financial aid options
Learn about advancement opportunities at the hospital
Identify personal barriers and work to eliminate them
Participate in job shadowing exercises to strengthen the professional network
Plot next steps

Begin with the End in Mind

Catalyst Learning’s customers are outcomes-oriented and so are we. Our goal is to ensure that customers achieve the workforce development and financial goals set for their investment.

Education programs routinely measure completion and knowledge gain. Our products go beyond education – they are career development systems. The Company works closely with customers to also establish and measure goals for higher-level outcomes: Continuing Education Enrollment; Job Advancement; and Employee Retention. Ongoing collaboration occurs around establishing and measuring goals that generate results, gaining executive buy-in, and collecting the data needed for ongoing evaluation. Outcome measures include:

Completion – High completion rates are the foundation to success. On average, nearly 78% of students complete SAW and ECHO and gain the confidence needed to enter the next phase of their personal development plan.

Knowledge Mastery – SAW and ECHO support an organization’s learning climate with curriculum designed to maximize knowledge retention. CLC rigorously measures knowledge mastery by testing students both pre and post program to ascertain impact.

Continuing Education Enrollment – Advancement within healthcare typically requires the attainment of a new educational certificate or degree. CLC programs prepare your employees to be successful in local college programs. One-third of students enroll in local continuing education programs within 90 days of completing the session. Of these students, 67% enroll in a healthcare-related certificate or degree program.

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Job Advancement – The ultimate measure of success for you and for your employee results in your employee spring boarding into a new position. Seventeen percent of students who complete a session receive job advancements within 90 days of completion. Customers use the on-line Success Tracking System to keep track of longer-term outcomes.

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Retention – Employees are more likely to remain with organizations that offer them the opportunity to learn and grow. As the recession abates, the historical challenge of retaining the best and brightest is returning. Retention of employees who’ve taken CLC programs is 8-28% higher than the employee category average.

Customers are Our Lifeblood

Throughout the SAW Session, the Client Relation Coordinators will share stories of how others maximized their SAW investment and will advise you on how to achieve dramatic results within your organization. The CLC Client Relations team:
• Provides personalized help to new Coaches get started • Is readily accessible - we believe in the human touch! • Answers questions and solves problems • Advises you to achieve maximum results • Has strategies for student recruiting • Assists with reading assessment and finalizing your class roster • Provides customized employee engagement evaluations and analysis

Getting Started on your School at Work Implementation

You’ve made the decision that you want to proceed – now, let’s make your SAW class an outstanding success! Attention to these five factors will maximize your results:

1. Select a Coach

Having a great SAW Coach is the single most important factor for success in School at Work. While the SAW Coach often comes from Education or HR, great Coaches have come from virtually every department. Key coach characteristics:

Time Required: 4-5 hrs/week
Well organized; Enthusiastic
Effective facilitator (doesn’t need to be a subject matter expert)
Strong inter-departmental working relationships
(for supervisor communication, assisting with career goals achievement)
View Coach Training dates
Serving as a hospital’s Coach is a unique professional development experience. Coaches hone facilitation and presentation skills while experiencing the reward of witnessing the positive employee transformation that takes place in the classroom.

Click here to read more about the benefits this opportunity provides.

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2. Think about Class Timing

Sessions begin any time
Class meets for 6 months - 2 hours each week.
- Week One: Classroom DVD Lesson
- Week Two: Computer Lab
Define a recurring weekly day and time for class sessions. Note: may be driven by facilities schedule and/or by supervisor requests

3. Check the Schedule for Available Facilities

“Begin with the End in Mind” In what month would you like to begin your SAW class?