From the May 2011 issue of HealthCare Business News magazine
Getting the training you need, even with tight budgets
Department managers and other administrators must provide more services with fewer resources. Hospitals recognizing the value of proper training must not only budget for the cost of training, but also budget for travel to attend the training.
Understandably, “free” training seems like an attractive option. Of course, there’s often a catch. While many of these courses can increase a technician’s knowledge, it’s unlikely they’re being provided for altruistic reasons. In many cases, they may be used to advance areas of the provider’s business, such as parts sales or repair contracts. Quality training teaches the technicians troubleshooting techniques as well as preventative maintenance steps to reduce the dependence on OEM service contracts and service calls.
What to look for in a training program
A technician’s work is not limited to looking up items in a service manual. A good technician works with his hands and figures out solutions to the problems presented to him. Therefore, you should look for a hands-on training program– if the training is book-only, it won’t be complete. Also, don’t overlook the experience of the trainer. During your conversation with the training provider, be sure to ask about the trainer’s qualifications. Helpful questions include:
• Is the trainer a current or former technician?
• How many training classes has the instructor conducted?
• How many years experience does the instructor have in the service field?
Training as a retention tool
All businesses measure costs and their impact on budgets. However, a stealth area of increased costs exists inside a clinical engineering department that does not show up clearly on a budget analysis: turnover.
There are real and tangible costs to losing a valuable technician, such as increased workload on others causing overtime, recruiting costs, basic orientation costs, and the hardest cost to calculate —a reputation inside the industry as a department to be avoided by qualified technicians. Sending technicians to a proper training class shows the value the organization sees in its technicians and demonstrates a level of commitment to career development recognized and valued by technicians.
Training as an investment
Training the clinical engineering department generates significant ROI. That’s good news to the financial experts at a facility, so a manager must understand how to speak the language when discussing the value equation for training. The ROI is based on the revenue lost (or cost avoided) if that equipment is not available for revenue generation or the cost of replacing a technician. The calculation for ROI is:
