Swabbing giant nasal passages part of Physicians Group clinical resources fairs
Who says clinical training can’t be fun? More than 200 staffers took part in recent clinical resources fairs, where scavenger hunts and dancing also were on the agenda.
What do giant nostrils and oversized tonsils have to do with health education? Both were used to demonstrate the proper way to swab a patient’s nose and throat during recent clinical resources events held at the Strada Patient Care Center and MDC Commons.
In an academic health system, continuing evidence-based education for clinical staff is a priority. It also can be a bit of a challenge to make such training sessions engaging. So, members of the clinical resources division — led by Sarah Kahalley, R.N., M.S.H.A. — developed an event last year to make the required learning a lot more fun.
More than 200 USA Health staff members practiced swabbing a giant nasal cavity, took selfies for a scavenger hunt, and even donned and doffed personal protective equipment (PPE) as part of the second annual clinical resources initiative.
“The fair was something we kind of made up based on different discussions of needs and wants for our clinics,” said Kahalley, director of clinical resources for USA Health Physicians Group. “We wanted to offer them clinical education and support but needed to find the best way to engage staff, not just using email or videos.”
Holding the fairs checked off several boxes for training, organizers said. It also served as a leadership activity for clinical-advancement-ladder program members, who had to work a one-hour shift at a skill booth, documenting when their peers had performed necessary tasks.
The three-day training was a collaborative effort among clinical resources, HCA clinical leadership, IT, and nurse managers and supervisors from various health system clinics, Kahalley said.
Skills taught and reinforced included:
- Point of care for swabbing a giant nose, giant tonsils, or performing a specific nasal swab
- Taking vital signs for adult and pediatric patients
- Injection technique best practices (both the skill and documentation)
- Safety tools
- Donning and doffing PPE
- Infection control practices
- Proper handwashing
- Allergy reconciliation
“This year, we held mock patient emergency drills spontaneously throughout the day, which involved a Q&A on best practices during an emergency that staff could win a prize for,” she said. “We would ask both clinical and non-clinical questions, so everyone could participate. We also added a scavenger hunt for important items to be familiar with in your department.”
For that, staff members were required to take a selfie with the items and submit a complete list with photos to earn an additional prize. So, if you happened to spot someone smiling with a fire extinguisher, chances are they were on a mission to learn about safety, win a prize, and have a little fun along the way.
