Posted by Sue DeMoya

Aromatherapy is a safe, effective treatment that can provide comfort and relief from many symptoms that hospice patients experience at end-of- life.  For a limited time, Suncoast Hospice Institute is pleased to offer you this course free of charge.  The course discusses administration methods, properties of essential oils, safety measure and precautions.

Click on the link.
Free Course!

On the left hand side of the page you will see “Free Courses”. Click there to go to the launch page.

We hope you enjoy the course and we welcome your comments and feedback!

   Posted by Amy Dreher

Suncoast Hospice Institute is very excited to welcome Amy Dreher as a guest blogger! Amy is VP of Strategic Learning Initiatives for the Nielsen Company. The focal point of her work is establishing scalable learning programs for client and employee training. She focuses on collaborative partnerships; products/industry knowledge, operational processes and strategic business needs and leads initiatives to introduce new and innovative learning technology into the Nielsen learning culture.  In her role, she serves as an internal consultant for learning initiatives throughout the company.  She chairs the global community for 250 Nielsen learning professionals, and her team is directly responsible for Nielsen Academics, an online curriculum for university faculty and undergraduate students. Amy also serves on the Board of Directors for the Suncoast Hospice Institute.

In this blog, Amy shares her thoughts on the importance of providing memorable, engaging and interactive learning.

Build it and they will come...maybe once, if your marketing is good. 
 
Developing loyal learners isn’t easy.   What keeps them coming back--relevance through engagement...a focus on the learner’s needs and motivations?   Context is critically important for real learning to take place.  Some would say more important than the content itself. The saying you have one chance to make a first impression is also true in learning. 
 
If the learner doesn't immediately feel engaged or see the relevance of learning, we lose them …along with the likelihood they will become a loyal learner in our learning program.  There are too many learning opportunities available across the Internet today for learners to stay with something that doesn't grab their attention and engage their desire to learn.  What we need is memorable, engaging and interactive learning.  Build that and they WILL come…again and again.
 
Advertising agencies spend a great deal of time thinking about the hook to be used to capture their audience’s attention.  Learning professionals could take a lesson from their attention to this critical aspect of marketing.  If you can’t get them hooked, they will never listen to the message.  That’s why there is a lot of creative energy put into designing ads that will cause viewers to watch the commercial rather than skip through it. 
 
That’s also why the Super Bowl commercials are so popular each year.  We are looking to see the best of the best; the ads that will engage and draw us in.  Ads that most engage us are memorable.  We instantly recognize them when we see them run long after the original airing.  We know what the product is and we are motivated to buy or continue buying the product.  Isn’t that what training programs should be about—retention, recognition and learner loyalty?  Aren’t we trying to promote the long term retention of new knowledge, recognition of opportunities to apply it on the job and knowing when and where to get new knowledge as needed?
 
Future blogs will talk about ways to design engagement into the learning experience.  We'll talk about interaction, problem solving, relevant graphics, minimal text, consequences for not learning, and the (in) famous WIIFM.  If you don't know what this means, do an internet search or be sure to check back as we address each of them.  
 
We'd like to hear your thoughts.  As a learning professional, what techniques do you use while designing in order to build engagement with your learners?  Share your thoughts and ideas and each month contributors will be entered into a drawing for a digital gift card as our thanks.

  Posted by Jill Fowler

Teen volunteers support patients and families in many ways. Building a program takes time and energy.  In this blog, Jill discusses practical ways to recruit teen volunteers.

 

I’m often asked how Suncoast Hospice is able to recruit so many teen volunteers. We currently have almost 500 teens donating their time and energy!  While our longevity as a hospice program gives us a foothold in our community, we recognize that there is always a need to provide more formal opportunities to educate the public about our program and to encourage teens to sign up.

The teen volunteer coordinators at Suncoast Hospice spend time either contacting schools and faith communities or responding to inquiries from these same groups. We have put together a multi-media presentation which includes a quiz with prizes, a short Power Point presentation, and a photo slideshow with catchy music that highlights all that our teens do.

We reach out to the community by hosting information tables at service and health fairs, posting flyers at coffee shops, libraries, and recreation centers. We also partner with local agencies on projects, so our teen volunteers can serve side-by-side with community members.

Our job is made a little easier because Florida has a statewide scholarship program called Bright Futures. This program requires up to 100 hours of community service in order to qualify for these scholarships.  There are also high schools in our area (magnet or private) which require service hours.

Another important resource is The National Honor Society and other student groups who see community service as part of their missions…everywhere we look, teens need service hours, and we know our program can meet their needs!

We are lucky to have so many recruitment opportunities for teen volunteers. Although you may not have a statewide scholarship program to spur teen volunteer enrollment, you may have other programs in your community. If you explore your options, you may be pleasantly surprised at the resources you discover. Here are a few more suggestions that can help your teen volunteer program take off:

• Participate in the Great American Teach-In:  This event occurs every November and could be a great entry point for your agency to partner with an area school.
• High school Career Days: Ask your Human Resources department to develop a presentation that includes a plug for your volunteer program.
• Start researching schools and large faith communities in your area.  Do any have programs that seem a natural match with your agency?  Send a letter or make a phone call and pitch your opportunities.

Please share your own best practices and strategies on how your agency recruits teen volunteers so we can learn from each other!

    Posted by Susan Bruno

This will be my final blog on the staff exchange trip to Hospice Wits in South Africa.  It took me a while to reflect on this experience and gather my thoughts. It is hard for me to actually “sum up this trip”!  And for those who know me, it is hard to believe that I would be at a loss for words, but I am.  The lessons learned will certainly continue to bubble up and surface as life continues day in and day out.

I had the opportunity to go on safari in 1995 and visit three countries in Africa; Kenya, Tanzania and Zimbabwe. That trip was life changing for me.  It occurred at a critical time in my life as one job had ended and another one wasn’t yet in sight.  I contemplated changing careers, leaving hospice and forging new horizons.  The trip forced me to reflect on what was really important to me, what were core values for me and what were those “non-negotiable” pieces of my life.  It was then that I knew that I needed to find my way back to hospice, sometime, someplace.  Well, a little more than a year later, after trying out a new career, I found myself back in my skin by returning to hospice. 

Visiting South Africa and our sister hospice – Hospice Wits – was an incredible experience.  There were many poignant moments – visiting patients in their homes, being welcomed by patients and caregivers into their homes, sharing with colleagues, introducing the Suncoast Hospice Institute’s Learn Center, training and sharing with staff, and experiencing life changing moments with others.  Here are a few of the lessons that I learned. 
 

Lesson One:  Keep true to your core values and take advantage of opportunities along the way.   I never thought I would have the opportunity to return to Africa.  Through my work with Suncoast Hospice and Suncoast Hospice Institute my path would lead me not only back to the place that changed my perspective on life but it would combine two life changing experiences….Hospice AND Africa.  Who would want to miss out on this?  Visiting with staff and patients in South Africa and seeing hospice in action half-way around the world from Florida only reinforces the universality of hospice.  The language of love is the connection. 



 

Lesson Two:  Really big things can block your way in life – but you just need to adjust your path.  Don’t be afraid to try new things just because there are obstacles in the way.  Look at your situation through a larger perspective…. There is always a different way to do things. 



 

Lesson Three:  There are some things you should steer clear of…… like bungee jumping!  Who needs it?  Do you really need to scare yourself that much? 



 

Lesson Four:  There is never enough education – we can learn something every day if we just open our eyes.  Sharing our Learn Center with our colleagues was an exciting experience.  They embraced the opportunity to use online training to enhance their learning and have made a commitment to share this with the Hospice Wits staff.



 

Lesson Five:  Never miss the opportunity to laugh with a friend.  I have made life-long friends along this journey which will be with me forever.  I hope that I have made a difference in others lives; I know they have made a difference in mine. 

In 2000, Suncoast Hospice joined in partnership with the Foundation for Hospices in Sub-Saharan Africa (FHSSA) to be paired with the Hospice of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg and Soweto, South Africa.  The mission of FHSSA is to support organizations in their development and provision of hospice and palliative care initiatives in sub-Saharan Africa. To date there are over 75 US hospices partnered with hospices in sub-Saharan Africa. 

Susan Bruno is a part of the team who is visiting South Africa now.  During their visit, they’ll observe and work with Hospice Wits’ care staff and management team. There will be a heavy focus on education. They plan to share resources, provide support and presentations on interdisciplinary care teams, self-care, palliative arts, leadership development and more. To read earlier entries, please visit the link below.

www.care4soweto.org/

    Posted by Susan Bruno
 

Susan sent a blog post reflecting on her experience visiting patients with the hospice nurses.

 
Visiting with the Sister's (nurses) has been an incredible experience.  The love and compassion extended is truly universal.  The circumstances and setting might be a bit different but the caring and love has only one voice.  Sister Joanne leans over the patient who is turned on her side facing the wall - she can't see the Sister's face and it only adds to her confusion - so Sister Joanne gently wedges herself between the wall and the patient, lying on a mattress on the floor of the living room, and crawls up until they are face to face "oh my darling, my darling", the patient whispers.... "it is you" and with that she smiles.
 
On another visit, I witnessed the power of the interdisciplinary team.  Sister Joanne delicately began to explain that the journey the patient was now on was one that was moving in a different direction than the past 8 years.  The patient lay in bed, rigid from years of brain inactivity, her wedding picture showing a very different vibrant woman.  Her daughter agonizing over what else she could do to keep her mother in the present.  Terri, the chaplain and I, the social worker, were able to begin to share a very different journey that her mother was approaching and so too, was the daughter.  We communicated through our eyes and hearts as we gently walked next to this family on their journey home. 
 
I feel so privileged to have this honor to share my skills with our sister hospice...Hospice Wits and at the same time learn from them about caring compassion at all times and sometimes, in the face of utter poverty.  Love is truly universal.  Joy too is universal....and so is Music!  The smiles, laughter, and the hope always overcome the sadness.
Let us always remember that we need them all.

The Hospice Sisters (nurses)

     Posted by Sue DeMoya

Check out this recently posted article from Nursing Center E-News.  Online Learning: An Innovative Solution to Meeting the Challenges of Staff Education

The article describes positive results one large home care agency experienced after implementing online learning. The agency noted better compliance with mandatory training, an increase in staff satisfaction and found online learning to be cost-effective.  That’s a win, win, win!

     Posted by Jill Fowler 1-8-13

Jill Fowler has worked as the coordinator for the Mid-Pinellas County Teen Volunteer Program at Suncoast Hospice for over five years.  During that time, she has recruited, trained, assigned, and supported hundreds of teen volunteers. These volunteers have participated in many aspects of Suncoast Hospice: celebrating with patients, supporting staff, and educating the community about the family of programs.  Jill has presented on the Suncoast Hospice Teen Volunteer (HTV) Program in numerous ways, including national conferences, webinars, in schools, faith communities, and community groups throughout Pinellas County. She is the co-editor of the Suncoast Institute’s “Hospice Teen Volunteer Program Toolkit” and “Lifetime Legacies: A Life Review Toolkit.”  Before coming to Suncoast Hospice, Jill coordinated service programs for high school and college students for various non-profits, high schools, and colleges for almost ten years.

There are many ways to promote best practice when providing hospice care. In today’s blog, Jill shares an example of that. She tells us about recent visits to nursing facilities and how the teen volunteers impacted quality of life for hospice patients and residents through holiday carols, caring presence, and gentle touch.
 

“Sleigh bells ring, are you listening?  In the lane, snow is glistening.  A beautiful sight, we’re happy tonight.  Walking in winter wonderland…”

‘Tis the season for caroling, and throughout the month of December our teen volunteers visited eight nursing homes/ALFs, spreading goodwill and cheer. Our teen volunteer coordinators help organize caroling visits to our partner facilities as a way of thanking them for the care they provide our patients.

We spend around an hour caroling—in the lounges and dining rooms or visiting room-bound residents.  We give ornaments the teens have made to everyone who comes and listens.  The teens take a few moments to talk to the resident, often shaking their hand or lightly touching their shoulder.  For many of these residents, this ornament may be one of the few gifts they receive during the holiday season, and the personal attention offered makes this gift even more special.

A few years ago, an activity director asked if the teens would shake the hands of all the residents listening to us sing.  She explained that her residents rarely saw young people.  She felt they would benefit from that physical connection, and when the teens began circulating and offering handshakes, the residents began to smile. One gentleman was so thankful for this thoughtfulness that he kissed the hand of one of the teens.  This visit made a huge impression on us, and I realized that the simple human connection of shaking hands should be added to all caroling visits. 

It brings us joy to witness the residents’ responses. Many sing along with us!  It is gratifying when we visit memory-impaired residents and see how caroling awaken memories for them.  We’ve seen angry residents smile; residents with flat affects brighten up and sing; and quiet residents begin to cry as the music touches their minds and hearts.

Through all of the caroling visits this month, our teen volunteers realized the positive impact they have on the lives of others.  Their visits embodied the giving and joy of the holiday season, and it reminded them even small acts of kindness and compassion can produce huge results! 

“Later on, we’ll conspire as we dream by the fire to face unafraid, the plans that we’ve made.  Walking in a winter wonderland…”

 

   Suncoast Hospice Institute has received a Merit award in the Non-Profit Category from the Health Information Resource Center.  The Summer/Fall 2012 Web Health Award was granted for the course “Pathophysiology of Pain.” 

The Web Health Award honors the best digital health resources, and our course was evaluated for content and design, creativity and user experience. There were over 400 entries submitted.
 
Congratulations, team!

    Posted by Jill Fowler 12-4-12

Jill Fowler has worked as the coordinator for the Mid-Pinellas County Teen Volunteer Program at Suncoast Hospice for over five years.  During that time, she has recruited, trained, assigned, and supported hundreds of teen volunteers. These volunteers have participated in many aspects of Suncoast Hospice: celebrating with patients, supporting staff, and educating the community about the family of programs.  Jill has presented on the Suncoast Hospice Teen Volunteer (HTV) Program in numerous ways, including national conferences, webinars, in schools, faith communities, and community groups throughout Pinellas County. She is the co-editor of the Suncoast Institute’s “Hospice Teen Volunteer Program Toolkit” and “Lifetime Legacies: A Life Review Toolkit.”  Before coming to Suncoast Hospice, Jill coordinated service programs for high school and college students for various non-profits, high schools, and colleges for almost ten years.

As the sun began to rise in the sky on a recent, chilly Saturday morning, several teen volunteers came to check in with me, waiting to be assigned their first job of the day for Suncoast Hospice’s 6th Annual Arts and Crafts Show.  Teens volunteered in shifts and were present throughout the day.  They helped arriving vendors with the set up of their booths, took trays of hot coffee around, and provided assistance to Suncoast Hospice outreach tables all over our community center complex. They also assisted with the take down of booths and cleaning up.  The teens had also spent time at home baking cookies and making no-sew fleece blankets.  These were offered for a donation to the visiting public at a Suncoast Hospice Teen Volunteer Program outreach table.

Suncoast Hospice has been organizing this unique special event primarily as a friend-raiser. It offers an opportunity to invite the community onto our campus and present hospice in a friendly and fun way.  Over the years our outreach booths have informed the community about advance directives, teen and adult volunteer opportunities, pet therapy, AIDS services, and our pediatric hospice program.  Hundreds of people, shoppers and vendors alike, have spent their whole or at least part of their day surrounded by hospice information and meeting hospice staff and volunteers.

This event is one of the yearly highlights of the teen volunteer program calendar!  Our teen volunteers provide a unique touch point for the public.  The vendors are constantly amazed at how helpful and thoughtful the teen volunteers are. Some of these vendors return year after year, and when they see me first thing in the morning, they ask when the teens will arrive.
 
Besides representing Suncoast Hospice and touching lives in the community, the teen volunteers are also making a difference in the lives of our Hospice House patients and our Children and Family program.  The funds raised from the baked goods help to purchase items that will be put together into gift bags that the teens will then deliver to all of our Hospice House patients during the winter holiday season.  The patients not only receive a gift bag, but they also receive a visit from teen volunteers along with a caroling performance!  This project was started by a teen volunteer over five years ago.  She volunteered at one of our houses and noticed that several patients had received no visitors, cards, or gifts during the holiday season, and she wanted to change that.  So began our baked goods fundraiser at the annual Arts and Crafts Show.
 
This year is the first for our blanket fundraiser.  Our teen volunteers have been making these blankets for years to give out to patients during Cheer Team visits and Birthday Party visits, but we have had so many enthusiastic blanket makers that the teens’ desire to make blankets for us was overwhelming our need for those blankets.   So we created a project to address the teens’ willingness to help by asking them to make specific types of blankets (sports-themed and children-friendly) for this upcoming show.  The funds raised from these blankets will go toward adopting families that are taken care of by our Children and Family program, and will be used to fulfill holiday wish lists. All of the blankets that were not chosen at the Arts and Crafts Show will be donated to the Children’s program to give away as holiday gifts.

Our teen volunteers provide support on so many levels for our agency through this event, and their willingness to help and get involved in so many projects never ceases to amaze me and others.  It’s wonderful to see them in action.  Onward to the 7th Annual Arts and Crafts Show!

    From left to right Megha Patel, Vivian Huynh, and Rita Huynh showing the wonderful baked goods that were available.

   Posted by Susan Bruno

Suncoast Hospice Institute was honored to be approached by LeadingAge to co-author a White Paper discussing the hospice/nursing home partnership.  The white paper focused on the positives and the challenges of the partnership and gave practical solutions and options for the two industries to work together.  Read more ……. Hospice/Nursing Home Partnership White Paper 

   Posted by Sue DeMoya

Being part of a hospice or health care team can be stressful no matter what your role and responsibilities. We often encourage our patients, families, friends and colleagues to “take care of themselves” but we sometimes put ourselves on the bottom of that self-care list.

From an educational point of view, have you ever tried to learn something when you were tired and feeling out of sorts?  It probably was not a very enlightening experience.  A little stress can keep us on our toes and out of trouble. It can motivate us to show up to class or work on time, or finish our documentation before we relax for the evening. However, too much stress not only affects our health and well being, but our ability to learn and retain information.

When caring for patients and families, staff and volunteers may feel overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of meeting the physical, spiritual and psychosocial needs of their patients and families.  As such, healthcare workers may experience:

• Worry
• Anxiety
• Sadness
• Loss and Grief
• Fatigue

These feelings and emotions may result in or be the cause of a great deal of stress.  In terms of learning, stress overload can affect:

• Memory
• Concentration
• Judgment

This is a good news/bad news type of situation for the learner. The bad news is that chronic stress interferes with cell communication within the learning and memory section of the brain. The area of the brain which stores and collects memories is disrupted. Recent studies show that even acute short term stress has the same effect. So we know that too much stress, whether it is chronic or acute can impede our ability to learn.  The good news is that if we decrease levels of stress, cell communication is restored and our brain happily accepts new information and knowledge and our ability to store memory data is restored. The other bit of good news is that there are many ways we can decrease stress. 

When we take the time to create and nurture self care interventions for our learners and teach them how to care for themselves, everyone feels more energized, less stressed and better able to cope with the demands and responsibilities in their professional and personal life. With a little thought and planning, we can incorporate simple self care strategies into each day.

Everyone has their own ways to care for themselves. What is your favorite stress-buster tip?  If you are an educator, what do you do to decrease stress levels of learners before beginning a class and to enhance their educational experience?  We’ll be adding more self care strategies in the coming weeks.  Please comment so we can build a self care posse together!

  

     Posted by Susan Bruno

Suncoast Hospice Institute recently attended the National Association for Home Care and Hospice Annual Meeting and Exposition at the Gaylord Palms in Orlando, FL.  The conference was well attended and we had many, many visitors at our Exhibit booth! 

We thank you all for visiting us and learning about our online courses and learning management system.  A highlight of the meeting was the posthumous induction of our former CEO, Mary J Labyak into the NAHC Hall of Fame.

For a limited time only, Suncoast Hospice Institute is offering a free course, “Slips, Trips and Falls”



Learn about safety hazards in the workplace, identify common workplace tripping hazards and learn ways to avoid injuries. This course is interactive and appropriate for all staff and volunteers.

Follow the link below:

Slips, Trips and Falls

Go to the menu on the left side of the page
Click on “Free Courses”
Click on the link “Click here to start this course”

Enjoy the course!

Posted by Jill Fowler, M.A. Teen Volunteer Specialist

Jill Fowler has worked as the coordinator for the Mid-Pinellas County Teen Volunteer Program at Suncoast Hospice for over five years.  During that time, she has recruited, trained, assigned, and supported hundreds of teen volunteers. These volunteers have participated in many aspects of Suncoast Hospice: celebrating with patients, supporting staff, and educating the community about the family of programs.  Jill has presented on the Suncoast Hospice Teen Volunteer (HTV) Program in numerous ways, including national conferences, webinars, in schools, faith communities, and community groups throughout Pinellas County. She is the co-editor of the Suncoast Institute’s “Hospice Teen Volunteer Program Toolkit” and “Lifetime Legacies: A Life Review Toolkit.”  Before coming to Suncoast Hospice, Jill coordinated service programs for high school and college students for various non-profits, high schools, and colleges for almost ten years.

As the sound of the ukulele and guitar playing spread throughout the dining room, I looked around at the residents of the assisted living facility we were visiting, and I saw smiles, heads nodding, and eyes following our teen volunteers as they moved throughout the room playing and singing the songs of the Beatles, Jack Johnson, Train, and Judy Garland and handing out small crafts to all members of the audience.  This impromptu concert for all those gathered concluded the strolling musical and craft visit we had made to several hospice patients throughout that afternoon.

Our patients had responded with rapt attention as the teen volunteers stopped by their rooms, gave them a fall-themed craft, and proceeded to play several songs for them.  One patient decided that she was going to indulge in her daily glass of beer as the teens played because she was enjoying the performance so much.  Another patient, who at first was reluctant to welcome the teens into his room, kept asking for more songs.  A third patient clapped her hands and snapped her fingers as she listened to the music, asking the teens to return again soon because she thought they were amazing musicians! 

Every patient we visited responded positively in some fashion, and the teen volunteers were excited to see how much of a difference their visit made.  To round out the afternoon, the teens also delivered cookies they had made to all of the facility staff working that day, thanking them for the care they provide to our hospice patients.  The facility staff was surprised to receive such a gift at first, thinking we had meant the cookies for the residents!  This visit was arranged through one of our care teams as a way to show the staff at this facility what additional services our hospice could offer, not only to our patients who live there, but also to the rest of their residents.

When the team approached me with this opportunity, they were hoping that the teen volunteers and I could help them improve their partnership with this facility. The team volunteer coordinator informed me that most of our patients living at this facility have some type of memory impairment, and she asked what my teens might be able to do.  I mentioned to her that the teen volunteers had made several one-time visits to patients and residents at other assisted living facilities and nursing homes throughout this past year, and that all the visits had been extremely successful.  We called these one-time visits “Super Cheer Team” visits.

We have groups of teens who form regular Cheer Teams and are assigned to a particular facility, which they visit regularly, bringing cheer and handmade crafts to the hospice patients who live there.  Since I don’t have enough teen volunteers to assign to regular Cheer Teams at every nursing home and ALF with which Suncoast Hospice works, I started offering these one-time Super Cheer Teams to our facility care teams.  The teen volunteers have been very responsive to these opportunities.  I usually have three to six teens sign up for each visit!  The teens have the opportunity to visit our patients and engage with them, but they don’t have to make a weekly or biweekly commitment.  These types of one-time visits are much easier to fit into a busy school and extracurricular schedule. 

On most of these Super Cheer Team visits, the teen volunteers are delivering no-sew fleece blankets and “thinking of you” cards that other teen volunteers have made for our hospice patients and their roommates (to bring cheer to everyone in the patient’s immediate environment), along with giving out cards to all of the residents we see as we walk between the rooms of our hospice patients.  We always bring cookies for the staff, and we leave the facility knowing that we spread cheer and goodwill throughout the entire place.  The team volunteer coordinator asked if we might be able to bring music and crafts to the memory impaired patients instead of blankets and cards, because she thought these patients might respond better to those gifts than the others.  I told her that we have several musically talented teens and that the teens are always making crafts, and I knew we could put this type of visit together.  It was a wonderful afternoon for all involved!

We have another Super Cheer Team visit coming up soon, and I already have four teens signed up, eagerly awaiting their opportunity to bring a smile to one of our patient’s faces.

Teen volunteers (Left to right) Milan Patel, Karli Littlefield, and Laura Douglass are part of another successful "Super Cheer Team" visit.

Pat Mullen is the Learn System Administrator and Salesforce Administrator at Suncoast Hospice Institute. Pat has over a decade of experience in the field of training and elearning including the design of instructor-led and web-based SCORM compliant courses. She is an expert in learning system management and post-training measures and metrics.

Posted by Sue DeMoya 10/2/12

Pat Mullen has seen many advances in training and technology over the past several decades. I talked to her recently about learning management systems, and how things have changed since she first started as a technical trainer.

Pat remembers the days when computer based training took place in a closet.  Literally. She recently explained the process to me. The employee would arrive at a scheduled time and sit in front of a computer (which was located in a large closet). The trainer would insert the course diskette, and the employee would take the computer based course (CBT). When the course was completed, the trainer would return to remove the diskette. The score and course completion was tracked by hand.  Course evaluations were done on paper and handed to the employee at the conclusion of the CBT, filled out and returned to the training department via interoffice mail.
 Delivering and tracking training was a time consuming process.

Fast forward to today.  Now organizations support education and training though the use of a Learning Management System (LMS). Pat explains what a LMS is. “Just turn the phrase around. It’s a computer- based system used to manage learning.”

 An LMS is a full time virtual assistant to a trainer or educator.   While each LMS has different features, basic functions of an LMS include:

• learner access to online or web-based courses
• the ability for the learner to self-enroll in instructor-led classes
• the ability to assign required trainings to learners
• tracking of test scores
• tracking of training completion
• full  real-time reporting on learners including classes, online courses and more

Pat talked about the benefits she sees for educators and organizations. “An LMS can decrease training costs, is more time efficient, and using elearning provides a consistently delivered message for training. An educator or supervisor can individualize training plans for employees and/or volunteers."

A huge benefit to an employee is that they can take a course whenever they want, at home or at work. All they need is an internet connection. This cuts down on travel and scheduling conflicts. 

Pat believes that an LMS can help educators stretch their training budget and support new learning opportunities for employees.  She admits that switching to an LMS and online learning creates a culture shift.  It’s important to empower organizations to provide staff and volunteers more diverse opportunities for education and training. We’ll be continuing this conversation with Pat in upcoming blogs on practical ways to do that.

Suncoast Hospice Institute welcomes our Guest Blogger!

Jill Fowler has worked as the coordinator for the Mid-Pinellas County Teen Volunteer Program at Suncoast Hospice for over five years.  During that time, she has recruited, trained, assigned, and supported hundreds of teen volunteers. These volunteers have participated in many aspects of Suncoast Hospice: celebrating with patients, supporting staff, and educating the community about the family of programs.  Jill has presented on the Suncoast Hospice Teen Volunteer (HTV) Program in numerous ways, including national conferences, webinars, in schools, faith communities, and community groups throughout Pinellas County. She is the co-editor of the Suncoast Institute’s “Hospice Teen Volunteer Program Toolkit” and “Lifetime Legacies: A Life Review Toolkit.”  Jill will be a regular contributor to our Suncoast Hospice Institute blog sharing information on topics relating to teen volunteers.

   Jill Fowler, M.A. Teen Volunteer Specialist
 

“At the end of our lives…all that is left of us is our story.”
--Richard Stone, The Healing Art of Storytelling
 

So many people, in and outside of hospice, have asked me over the years how I and my fellow teen volunteer coordinators attract so many teens to our program. We have worked with about 500 teen volunteers since last spring!  I have many ways to answer this question, but  it all comes down to the stories we are able to share about our patients, and eventually, the stories the teens are able to hear directly from our patients with whom they visit.
 

Who wouldn’t want to volunteer with a program that presents teens with the opportunity to hear about patients who worked on the NASA Apollo missions; who survived the Holocaust and embraced life to the fullest; who found love with a second husband and finally felt like a real person; who grew up as the child of a Kentucky tobacco sharecropper to lead a prosperous life here in Florida; who remember the Great Depression and the hardships their family faced during that time; who have lived to be over 100 years old and can recount the stories of their youth and pass along hard-won wisdom? These stories and so many more of joy, happiness, redemption, growth, tragedy, and love engage our teen volunteers and inspire them to new levels of self-awareness.
 

Our teen volunteers have expressed to us that they appreciate their lives more; they have become better listeners; they have learned to live life at a slower pace; they have become more thankful for their family; and they have a chance to give back. They gladly tell their friends how much fun they have volunteering at Suncoast Hospice, and by their recommendations, we keep growing.
 

As I interview teens interested in becoming a part of Suncoast Hospice’s Teen Volunteer Program, I liberally sprinkle this time with some of the more recent stories I have had the privilege to hear.  I want them to know they will be touching real lives and that their efforts will make a difference.  Besides listening to the stories of our patients, our teen volunteers do so much for our agency, our community, and our patients and families.  They assist in our offices and resale shoppes.  They participate in special events and community outreach activities.  They bake cookies and make blankets for our patients.  They help our patients celebrate birthdays and anniversaries.  They interview our patients and record their life stories.  And this is just a sampling of what they do! 
 

I am very excited to share with you all that our teen volunteers do and experience and what my role in this program is, but I would also like to hear about what topics most interest you in regards to teen volunteers. 
 

Would you like information about recruitment, training, retention, and support of teen volunteers?  Do you want to hear more about how they can contribute to the care of patients and families?  Do you want ideas on how you might begin to incorporate teen volunteers into your hospice?  Please provide me with your feedback, and I will work on integrating your suggestions into upcoming blogs. Let the storytelling begin!

Jill

    Posted by Nikki Devereux 8-4-12

Everyone has a story to tell, and that is especially true of many of our hospice patients. Last year I was fortunate enough to participate in Suncoast Hospice’s partnership with the StoryCorps Legacy Initiative, which gave our patients the opportunity to tell their life stories with the help of a family member or close friend. Their mission: “StoryCorps Legacy provides people with life-threatening conditions and their families the opportunity to record, preserve, and share their stories.”

StoryCorps asked us to help fulfill that mission. I will first describe my role in helping to fulfill that mission, and then I will share more about my experience with StoryCorps.

I am known in Suncoast Hospice Institute for my role as the graphics person / course developer, but my skill set also reaches into the realm of audio recording and editing. We have a studio here at Suncoast Hospice Institute, and I put it to use quite often. In fact, when you take our courses, most of the narration is recorded and edited by myself and Susan Demoya, one of our Learning Services Coordinators.
As a result of my experience with recording equipment, it was only natural that I would be a good fit as one of the volunteers assigned to set up the microphones and recording equipment, right in the patient’s home or nursing home.

Wherever they lived, that’s where we went. We had a suitcase full of recording equipment, and completed a 3-day training in order to learn how to use it. Once we recorded the stories, we sent the equipment back to the StoryCorps headquarters in New York, and they processed the files and archived them at the Library of Congress! This was really an amazing opportunity for our patients to leave a gift for posterity.

For my first assignment, I was scheduled to travel to a nursing home and record the story of a gentleman there. It was my first time having direct patient contact in the field so I was a little nervous, but I had another team member with me who was a chaplain and served as the facilitator of the recording session. She was very supportive to the patient and family, and that was comforting to all of us.

The patient’s story was so fascinating and extraordinary – he traveled all over the world and had so many unique adventures. We sat quietly as he told his story, all of us with tears in our eyes. The final recording was beautiful and such a lovely gift for the patient’s family and friends.

I also sensed that the patient himself felt like he had received a gift. He had such an amazing, exciting life, and at the dawn of his life, he was able to tell the world about his experiences. He was able to leave us with a story that we can all benefit from, and as he told his story, his eyes were alight with excitement. The man who had seemed so frail and sick while I was setting up the equipment was somehow renewed by the telling of his own story.

For me, this patient’s story, and many of the other stories I heard told, gave me the sense that living each moment fully, taking chances, and being fearless – these are all ways to live a wonderful and enriched life. At the same time, the little things, like sharing a cup of tea with your grandmother on her birthday or listening to your mother play the piano, are equally beautiful ways to live a wonderful life. There are so many interpretations of a wonderful life. Whether our moments be simple or adventurous, romantic or cinematic, the fact is, we are alive.

http://storycorps.org/initiatives/legacy/

   Posted by Susan DeMoya 8-14-12

Let’s take a little journey together.  Are you ready to use your imagination?

OK… your boss informs you that you’re being sent to a wonderful conference.  There is a stellar line-up and you smile thinking about all the great people you’re going to meet. You pack your bags and are whisked away.


You arrive, and as you wander down the conference hallway you see many amazing group sessions.  As a hospice educator, you are drawn to the group of teachers debating best practices in curriculum development.  Across the hall there is another group discussing the merits of online learning.  And my goodness, right there by the chocolate chip cookies, another group is busy chatting about hospice and home health care.

It’s a little dizzying, and you are not quite sure where to start.  You top off your cup of coffee, grab a cookie, start to explore and join conversations.  It’s a wonderful day.  You’ve interacted with many like-minded professionals, contributed your own thoughts and opinions, and feel like you are coming away with some new ideas and strategies that you can start using right away.  You happily walk down the hall to head home… and lo and behold…there is yet one more group discussing how to write a great test question. You think, “It’s like this has been created just for me…”

Let’s come back from our adventure.  We had a little fun daydreaming, but actually, in a few easy steps you can create your own personalized networking site from the comfort of your home or office by joining and participating in LinkedIn.  LinkedIn can enhance your professional knowledge base in a variety of ways.

Here are 10 ways to use LinkedIn:

1. Participate in groups that span a wide variety of topics.
2. Join in discussions.
3. Start a conversation of your own.
4. Build a network of friends and colleagues.
5. Learn about the protection of the link.  You cannot connect to just anyone.  There needs to be some type of professional link.  This keeps you at the right conference.  You probably would not be interested in topics surrounding RV manufacturing if your job is providing hospice education.  By linking to those you know a closer knit community is created and supported.
6. Continue to build your network through the connections of friends and colleagues by requesting a virtual introduction.
7. Develop your professional profile so others can find you.
8. Follow news, articles and headlines of interest.
9. Look for or post a job.
10. Communicate through LinkedIn email.

With LinkedIn, you participate at your own pace and level of comfort.  Building a professional network takes time, and LinkedIn is one more option to help you do this.  We will discuss more specific features of LinkedIn in future blogs.

Please share your favorite LinkedIn tip!

 Posted by Nikki Devereux 8-7-12


Have you ever looked at a Powerpoint slide full of words and thought to yourself, “Man, this is sooo boring..”?

I do that every day. Part of my job is to look at the blank storyboards I am given, and breathe life into them through imagery and animation.   Anything is better than a blank white page with only words, and I use that white page as my canvas.

Images and graphics help to keep the material interesting and engaging. When a person sees an image, they are gaining immediate insight into the meaning of the words, plus images help make concepts memorable. A learner is more likely to remember steps to teach medication administration to a patient  if the information is paired with the images below.

 Images add richness and beauty to otherwise lifeless Powerpoint slides, and they aid in the learner’s use of their own imagination.
 
I also like to use images to illustrate case studies. Sometimes, case studies can be long, so they can look especially daunting to a learner – so much information! I use images like the ones below to bring the case studies to life, so the learner sees and conceptualizes real people and real situations.
 
The following images are from a story about Sergio and his grandfather, Jose.



With these images the story is brought to life.  I won’t tell you the story – the point is that a series of pictures can be used to create any number of key messages embedded in a story.  Now the learner can picture Jose and Sergio, and the story becomes more interesting, more colorful. And that is what I do with every story and scenario that we present in our courses in order to facilitate learning and retention.

Posted by Sue Demoya 7/31/12

As we jump out of our neat and comfortable educational nest and go out on a limb in search of new learning opportunities, consider what Twitter has to offer.

Twitter is considered a micro blog meaning the content is short, sweet and to the point.  There’s not much to it but as they say, birds of a feather flock together, and Twitter has over 140 million regular users and over 340 million tweets a day. 

The world of Twitter is composed of following or being followed by others. You can follow friends, colleagues, individuals, organizations and institutes. You get real time information when they post (aka tweeting).  This tweet could be an observation, quote, link to an article, website, photograph or video.  It’s a brief overview (140 characters or less) but you simply click on the link if you want more in-depth information.

Let’s consider ways Twitter can be used in hospice education.

• You can build your own personal professional development network by following individuals and organizations that are of interest to you.  I receive great tips on education, course and curriculum development every day from some of my favorite Tweeters. I have collaborated with other educators via live online Twitter chats.


• You can get answers to questions. A colleague was having difficulty formatting something on a webpage. A general internet search did not provide her the needed information. She sent a quick Tweet to the website support group, and received a response with a solution in minutes.

• There is a search feature so you can explore different subjects of interest. I recently wanted to see what people are talking about in hospice education. A quick Twitter search turned up over 50 top tweets providing links and bits of information. I was able to quickly scan the information and connect to pertinent links for more in-depth information.

• You can share your findings. If you discover a great article or enjoy someone’s post, you can easily retweet it to your followers.

• You have your own great idea or insight. You send out your Tweet. Your followers could be other educators, new employees, and team or group members.  They can respond to your tweet or pass it along via a retweet to their followers. Thus, your social web and influence builds and expands.

As hospice educators, Twitter offers another way to broaden our educational presence. It’s a new way to connect for many of us.  Like any new relationship, it takes commitment; trust and time to feel comfortable.   But it gives us the opportunity to spread our educational wings a little bit wider and see just how far we can go.  In future blogs, we will discuss navigating the Twitter landscape and learning ways to set up our own professional development network.
 

Are you using Twitter in your organization?  In what ways do you think Twitter could be useful in hospice education?  What do you see as potential benefits of using Twitter in hospice education? What do you see as potential challenges?

Please share your thoughts with the rest of your peeps!
Feel free to follow me!

https://twitter.com/
@SusanDemoya

Posted by Nikki Devereux 7-24-12

I find it really interesting that one image can be used for several different projects, and can have more than one meaning. If I find a beautiful picture that is emotive and colorful, I usually try to use it in more than one course.

The good thing is, almost every image has many potential meanings and interpretations.

Take the image below, for example. I used this in a Knowledge Check for the Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders course.  The learner was asked to identify signs of normal aging. Their assignment was to drag and drop the statements that apply to normal aging onto this photo. Because the person in this image seems thoughtful and alert, I used this photo to illustrate an elderly woman without dementia, who is experiencing the normal aging process.



 I also used this photo in the Advance Care Planning course, to illustrate a page entitled, “It’s a Process!” The page informs the learner that advance care planning is a process that involves education, reflection, communication and documentation. This photo works well here because it has a positive undertone, and the woman’s expression is a thoughtful one. Despite the fact that she is not smiling, per se, she still looks hopeful - that’s a point we always want to impart to our learners in hospice care, and particularly with a concept like advance care planning.  Hope in advance care planning and advance directives implies patient choice.

The two concepts that I illustrated with this image are very different, but they have one thing in common. The facial expression of the woman is powerful and illustrative, and because the image is so simple, with no background distractions, the face is the focal point of the image. The image worked perfectly for both concepts for that very reason – a strong, reflective facial expression was exactly what was needed to illustrate normal aging in the “Alzheimer’s” course, and to illustrate someone who is critically thinking about their end-of-life planning in the “Advance Care Planning” course.

Posted by Sue DeMoya 7-17-12

In our exploration of social media and learning, it’s definitely worthwhile to peruse the wonders of Facebook.   Facebook is another social media mastiff, which sprung from roots as a university communication tool. A virtual Mt Everest, Facebook has reigned supreme and is considered as a true social media giant.

Most of us know Facebook as a way to stay in touch with our friends and family, sharing earth shattering status updates (e.g. “I ate the best pizza tonite...it was so yummy!”) photos, links, and comments.  We stay connected in ways that were not possible 15 years ago.

Consider the similarities for educators. We want to connect with our learners or other educators, share information, useful resources and have time for discussion and questions to help anchor learning. One way Facebook lends itself well to this concept is through the use of groups.

Groups can be set up easily on your home Facebook page. You will see Groups listed on the left hand navigation side of the page. Click on the word “Groups”. Another page will open and in the top right corner of the page you will see a box “+ Create Group”. Click on that and another box will open up. Name your group and choose your privacy options. There are three.

1. An open group. This type of group is open to anyone who wants to join, and everyone can see and respond to posts.

2. A closed group. Anyone can see the group and who is in it, but only members of the group can see and respond to posts.

3. A secret group. This group is by invitation only. No one but members can see the group, see who is in the group or see and respond to posts.

Once you have your group set up, start inviting members. You need to be “friends” in Facebook in order to invite them to your group. However, while the members of the group can communicate within the group, their own personal Facebook page maintains the privacy parameters they have set up. In other words, group members cannot see personal information about other group members unless they are also friends. All members can invite other friends to join the group.  Within the group, you can post photos, share links, participate in discussions and even have a live chat.

Let’s look at two ways Facebook groups could be beneficial for hospice educators.

Scenario One: You are a hospice educator.  You realize that it takes a year for new hospice employees to really feel comfortable in their new positions and you want to be able to stay in touch and offer support. You create a group on your professional Facebook page. You invite those who want to participate. This provides another way to mentor, support and provide information to new employees.

Scenario Two:   You form a group for other hospice educators.  Now you have a private arena to share ideas, information, resources and connect with other educators  from remote offices in your own agency or even from other organizations in other cities and states. 
    
Are groups for everyone?  No.  But as we remodel and redecorate our virtual classroom, it is an easy way to expand those educational walls, stretch the fabric of our learning environment and offer another entrance into a new way of learning.

Have you ever participated in a group on Facebook?  In what ways do you think a group could enhance an educational experience?

     Posted by Carol Johnston 7/10/12

 

Are your nurses and physicians equipped with the most up to date training tools to aggressively address pain in hospice patients?  Check out Suncoast Hospice Institute’s two newest courses in our PAIN SERIES.
 

Pathophysiology of Pain:
Learning how to develop individualized, appropriate and effective symptom management strategies begins with understanding how, why and where pain occurs. The goal of this course is to assist the healthcare professional in gaining knowledge of the pathophysiology of pain in order to guide treatment and therapies to relieve a patient’s physical pain and suffering. 2 contact hours for nurses.

Nociceptive Pain:
This course will provide the learner with the knowledge to assess and identify the type of nociceptive pain (somatic, visceral), the pathophysiology of nociceptive pain and pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic interventions that provide relief from suffering associated with types of nociceptive pain. 1 contact hour for nurses.
 

 **These two courses are designed for nurses/ physicians and are intermediate/advanced courses.

For more information on how you can access the Pain Series – call 1-877-523-4144 or CLICK on the link below.

https://hospice.learn.com/suncoastinstitute

                         Posted by Sue DeMoya on July 3, 2012

     Chances are you or someone you know is on Facebook. In fact, statistics show that there are 500,000,000 active participants on Facebook worldwide.  That’s half a billion individuals! 
 

 
Whittling our world view to just the United States, we find that more than fifty percent of Americans have a Facebook account.

Take just a moment to let those staggering figures settle in.

What does this mean for educators?   It could mean that Facebook is yet another tool to add to your educational tool kit.
Many of us like to keep our personal life private, and either don’t want a Facebook account or do not want to mix business with pleasure. 

That is perfectly okay.  But keep in mind that it is possible to set up a professional Facebook account using a different email address. From your professional account, you can connect with colleagues, other educators and still maintain your personal privacy.

Here’s how to set your privacy parameters.  Click on the pull down list next to “home” link at the top right of your Facebook home page.  Click on “Privacy Settings”.  Go through each edit setting.  When you do, a new smaller window will open up. Click on each preference and save it when you are done. You can decide if you want to share information with everyone, friends of friends or friends.

 The privacy settings direct how you connect with others through friend requests, messages and emails, how you manage ads, apps and websites, as well as how you can manage your timeline.  There is also a comprehensive help section which is accessible from the pull down list.

“Like” it, love it or not, Facebook is firmly ensconced in the fabric of our society.    It’s a handy way to keep your pulse on the educational heartbeat of America. Like any good tool, it takes time to learn how to use it well; in future blogs we will discuss easy ways to do that.

Do you currently have a Facebook page?  What additional topics on using social media in hospice education would interest you?

     Posted by Nikki Devereux on 6/26/12

Any good instructional designer will tell you that images are one of their most powerful tools. You can say more with one image than you can sometimes say with an entire paragraph. This is especially true of hospice. In a single image, the patient and family’s body language, facial expression, and posture communicate a story.  For example, look at the image below.


The patient’s thoughtful gaze and gentle smile suggest that she has been moved by something the woman hugging her has said or done. Perhaps even the simple gesture of a hug has moved this patient so visibly. This is a powerful image. We don’t know exactly what is happening, but we can see that the elderly woman is emotionally moved in some way – it could be love, relief, or even just contentment at having someone who cares give her a hug.

I used this image in a course to illustrate the importance of pain control in allowing a patient to address important spiritual issues at the end of life, including closure, forgiveness, and relationship healing. Applying this context to the photo, perhaps the patient hugs her daughter and they have just finished having a conversation about what a wonderful life the mother gave her daughter, and how much she will be missed. Each learner may imagine a different set of circumstances according to their own personal experience, but the one thing that is clear here, is that this patient seems at peace, and the implication is that controlling pain allowed her to reach this peaceful state. 

So as you design courses, or teach a class, consider using images to express what you want to say – show instead of tell.  And of course, be mindful of HIPAA rules and regulations.  Make sure you have written permission from any patient, family member or other person and for express purposes before using any photograph!

I happen to love Facebook.  In fact, I’m growing quite fond of Twitter and honestly enjoy perusing LinkedIn. When I stop to consider the impact of this amazing virtual presence in both my personal and professional life, I am in awe. I really never saw it coming.

My first experience with the internet was via a game console connecting with Dr. Andrew Weil a dozen years ago. There was interesting information on his page, and a community forum that attracted a wide array of participants. It was fun to visit once in awhile.

But faster than a garden full of 8 legged baby spider’s scurry through a new landscape…this virtual web entangled my soul and spun me out into a worldwide exploration and epic adventure that still seems limitless.

The restraints of time and place are being lifted. I can see a picture of my granddaughter feeding a giraffe at the zoo almost instantly…even though she lives many miles away.  While it is nice to send a hand written letter or note that may take several days to arrive, I can send a text or email in seconds and get a response in less time than it would take me to lick a stamp.

As a hospice and palliative care educator, I am thrilled for the opportunity to be able to connect with learners in so many different ways.  Delving into the social media arena opens up amazing connections which support education and training even when learning to provide hospice care.

While classroom education and mentoring is a vital part of any new hospice employee’s learning experience, it is not the only option.
We are no longer tethered to a classroom on a particular day and time. The beauty of this new social footprint is that as educators, we can break down barriers and carry the classroom virtually anywhere.  Learning can take place at the individual’s convenience. From interactive online training, Facebook discussions, forums, Skype, YouTube to countless other possibilities, we share our collective energy with colleagues, new employees and curious learners.

Change can be difficult. There is a certain degree of comfort in doing things the way we’ve always done them.  But we can’t stay cocooned in that comfort zone for too long, or we risk being left behind as others frolic and participate in a grand adventure!

The culture of education is different. A metamorphosis is afoot and it is up to each of us to decide how wide to stretch our wings. We are limited only by ourselves. It’s exciting to ponder how to use the great tools social media offers as ways to present and anchor learning. Like any worthwhile venture, the path is not always smooth, yet with a fair amount of optimism and a little imagination…it is bound to be fruitful.
Let’s start a conversation. I would love to read your comments. 

Sue DeMoya

How do you use social media in your organization?
What do you consider to be the greatest benefits or challenges in embracing a social media presence?

Have you ever thought about this?  In hospice we tend to think of IDT as just a time when team members gather around a table, usually on a weekly basis, to discuss patient and family care issues and concerns.  But, it is so much more than just a meeting!  It is a time to plan for the next two weeks, not just rehash the past.

It is a time to understand what is important to patients and family members so that the IDT can assist in determining what is helping or hindering them from reaching their goals.  It is a time that we focus on the experience of the patient and family and create the patient and family care plan that reflects what is important to them not only what is important to the clinicians.

You may not be aware of the fact that Suncoast Hospice Institute (SHI) provides professional trainings; webinars, consulting and in-person trainings to organizations around the country for their hospice clients and hospice member organizations. 

Suncoast Hospice Institute will be present at the Suncoast Solutions CEO Forum May 5 & 6, 2012 in Clearwater Beach, FL.  The Institute will be demonstrating the latest online courses and features of our Learning Management System.  Our Learn Center, built on an award winning LMS, has many unique features not found in other systems.  Our 110+ hospice and palliative care online courses are interactive and engaging.  Organizations that invest in their employee’s opportunity to learn and grow at work promotes employee engagement and retention.

The NHPCO Management and Leadership conference last week was a great success! Over 225 people came by our exhibit booth to see what was new at Suncoast Hospice Institute and to view our interactive hospice online courses and learning management system.  We also formally launched our new website.
 
We want to congratulate Bonnie, who won the $100.00 gift card.  Happy spring shopping, Bonnie!
 
We were excited about the attendance at  Karen Lo’s and Susan Bruno’s session, “Keeping Quality Hospice Employees:  Educating More with Less” at the conference. Future blogs will include hospice education and training discussions about various components of that program and more!
 
Have a great week!

The Suncoast Hospice Institute will have a booth at the NHPCO Management and Leadership conference in Washington, DC beginning March 29. The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) is the largest nonprofit membership organization representing hospice and palliative care programs and professionals in the United States. The organization is committed to improving end-of-life care and expanding access to hospice care with the goal of profoundly enhancing quality of life for people dying in America and their loved ones.  

The event will take place at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center and you can find us at booth #327.  Be sure to stop by our booth to see a demo of our interactive online courses and learning management system as well as a chance to win a $100 gift card.  We look forwarding to seeing you there!

You can also find additional information about the NHPCO conference by visiting our events page.

 

When making decisions about investing in delivering education through online courses and managing staff and volunteers learning through a learning management system (LMS), organizations should consider the return on their investment (ROI).  Some considerations are:

Organizations would rather have engaged employees than simply “satisfied” employees.  Engaged employees take ownership and responsibility for their part of making the organization successful, whether this is measured by patient/family satisfaction or some other measurement such as decreased turnover rates.  Investing in training and education for staff and/or volunteers helps to create engagement for staff and volunteers.