How Educational Opportunities Create Efficiencies
Published May 21, 2021
When patient care is the top priority, it can be easy to lose sight of the importance of professional development. Education can fall to the backburner when case volumes are high, budgets are tight and staffing needs are a constant concern.
But an investment in cardiac care-specific educational platforms that offer RCES exam prep and professional development opportunities could improve a number of the challenges Cath Lab managers are facing while creating valuable efficiencies.
And, as a leading education and staffing agency for cardiovascular care, Springboard is prepared to offer support to managers and directors who need approval to make educational platforms available to their staff.
For managers focused on creating a positive treatment environment with happy staff and healthy patients, education is a major ingredient. Here are a few reasons why.
It’s a cost-saving move. Staff turnover is as costly as it is rampant in the healthcare industry. One estimate pegs each staffing change as a $60,000 cost for a healthcare facility. And that’s just one employee. There is nearly universal agreement across industries and specialties that building from within, by offering professional development opportunities, benefits the bottom line and helps avoid costly losses associated with staff turnover.
It improves retention. Professional development opportunities have been known to improve retention while also improving productivity and morale among staff members who feel the organization is investing in their success. A survey indicates 60% of employees would choose a job that offered professional development opportunities over one that offered regular pay raises, and 53% of employees said they would stay longer at a job than they had planned if professional development opportunities were available to them.
It works. Those who have used Springboard’s EP Academy and Cath Lab Academy to prepare for the RCES exam and prepare for RCES certification saw improved scores compared to pre-course assessments. The mobile-friendly platforms, developed with Duke Heart Center, allowed students to realize 45% improvement in scores for the Cath Lab Academy and 21% improvement in scores for the EP Academy.
It improves performance. By investing in the growth of internal teams, managers are essentially investing in the future performance of their staff by taking the time to improve their team’s capabilities. Improved performance will improve patient outcomes, improve a facility’s reputation in the market and very likely improve revenue — an important footnote for an industry that is constantly facing expectations of lowering costs even as the cost of care continues to skyrocket.
Improved performance, improved retention rates and cost savings ultimately lead to organic efficiencies, a sought-after achievement for managers in any industry, but particularly one with so many stakeholders and so many moving parts.
To learn more about Springboard’s educational platforms, which offer CEs and prepare your staff for RCES and RCIS exams, reach out. We’re happy to help you make the case for education.