The Lambda Solutions eLearning Blog

What Does Competency-Based Learning in Healthcare Look Like?

Written by Nimritta P. | Apr 7, 2016

To ensure the efficiency of their manufacturing processes, Toyota developed a “just-in-time”  concept, ensuring that they only make what is needed, avoiding wasted resources, investments, and materials. While the world of auto-mechanics may greatly differ from the healthcare sector, this concept of allocating only the necessary resources - nothing more, nothing less - can apply to healthcare training landscape as well. Healthcare professionals work in a fast-paced, time-sensitive environment, meaning that they have no time to waste on anything that is not of immediate importance, or directly impacting their ability to carry out their patient-related work. This is where the “just-in-time” concept comes into play - just replace manufacturing materials with training information.

Defining Competency Based Learning in Healthcare

A majority of clinicians take their training during their shift, requiring a just-in-time training approach that produces quantifiable outcomes, skills, and competencies. This Competency Based Learning movement has begun to make the workforce more relevant. Countries across the globe, including the US, New Zealand, and the UK have begun to gather skill requirements into groups, and link them to desired outcomes. The definition, assessment, and measurement of these outcomes is what mean when we refer to as ‘competencies.’

What does Competency Based Learning in Healthcare Look Like?

Competency-based learning means clinicians receive training in increments, or “modules”, where they can only move on to the next module when they have fully mastered the first. This allows a mindful learning experience, and enables clinicians to focus on one small concept at a time. The assessment of each module is measured based on how effectively the skills are applied on the job.

Competency-based learning also means that clinicians can learn at their own pace - they are not forced to move on to the next training session if they have not fully grasped the information in the one prior. This creates more engaged workers, and a more efficient system, ensuring that all clinicians master their training, and no clinician is left behind.

This approach to learning is not only more time efficient, it is also more effective. Being presented with only the information that is directly relevant to what is facing clinicians on the job allows better retention, and improved job performance. Competency Based Training in Healthcare incorporates higher level thinking and creativity.

Want to learn more about online learning and training in healthcare? Save your seat for tomorrow's webinar, 5 Best Practices to Deliver Healthcare Education in Moodle. We will be joined by James Bridgewater, IT Officer at the Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing (CASN), who will discuss how he transitioned their nursing certification prorgrams to a robust online platform.