You are here: Home >
Who Can Benefit from This Training?
Overview of the Modules
Assessment
Adapting the Modules for Your Facility
Tips for Using the Modules
 |
 |
Professionalism in Dialysis Care |
 |
Patient-Centered Care | |
 |
When Patients Have Concerns | |
 |
Fistula First | |
 |
Caring through the End |
Documents on this page are presented in Adobe PDF format. To view the documents,
download the latest version of Adobe Acrobat Reader for free.
The modules are also available in MS Word format here.
Please note: Modules in MS Word may require some formatting corrections.
Who Can Benefit from This Training?
These modules are designed to be used by dialysis center staff responsible for conducting in-service training, such as nurse educators and trainers. The training topics were selected and designed for patient care staff, specifically dialysis technicians and LPNs who work on the floor. The trainings aim to build their skills in communication to promote better customer service and client satisfaction. You may find that other levels of staff may also benefit from participating in these sessions.
Each module includes exercises and handouts for patient care staff. While the content may be useful for other purposes and relevant to patients, the handouts were designed for LPNs and technicians.
Finally, the modules are designed to be flexible enough to express diversity in culture and variability in facility policies. Trainers should review the modules prior to use to adapt or revise as required to meet participants' needs or to be in line with facility protocols or policies.
Overview of the Modules
Communication Skills for Providing Quality Care is a set of stand-alone modules, each with short learning activities, such as games, brainstorming, small-group discussion, and practice group activities. These activities are designed to facilitate discussion, problem solving, and critical thinking among dialysis center staff who provide patient care. This kit contains five (5) 45-minute sessions that can be presented during staff meetings or in-service training breaks. Modules can be adapted and expanded as needed for your facility.
Module 1: Professionalism in Dialysis Care (Adobe PDF)
The first module defines professionalism in the dialysis center and allows staff to identify ways to apply skills to increase patient satisfaction and define boundaries. By the end of this module, participants will be able to:
- Demonstrate, through group discussion, an understanding of professionalism within the following relationships-staff member to patient; staff member to family; and staff member to staff member
- Demonstrate, through group discussion, an appreciation for how a high degree of professionalism can improve patient compliance, increase patient involvement in disease management, and reduce patient and provider complaints, including lawsuits.
- Demonstrate, through role play, how to respectfully set limits (boundaries) with patients
- Demonstrate, through group discussion, an understanding of the rationale behind these concepts, and how they operate to achieve the highest quality patient care.
Module 2: Patient-Centered Care (Adobe PDF)
This module defines patient-centered care, and helps participants apply it to their daily work. By the end of this module, participants will be able to:
- Demonstrate, through a verbal exercise, what the world is like through their patients' eyes.
- Demonstrate, through role playing, at least three examples of courteous, respectful ways to interact and communicate with patients.
- Describe ways in which active patient participation improves treatment outcomes.
- Demonstrate, through role-playing, a variety of methods for communicating with patients in order to engage them in their continual care planning.
Module 3: When Patients Have Concerns (Adobe PDF)
The module allows participants to increase patient/customer satisfaction through identifying and practicing helpful communication skills. By the end of this module, staff will be able to:
- Determine benefits of using good communication skills, and identify effective management of patient's concerns.
- Understand how patients' involvement in their care improves outcomes.
- Through group discussion, identify patients' concerns and understand techniques used to resolve such concerns.
- Demonstrate through role-playing, how to effectively listen to patient concerns to determine proper response and enhance the efficiency of patient care.
Module 4: Fistula First (Adobe PDF)
This module provides patient care staff with an understanding of the benefits of arteriovenous fistulas (AVFs), and tips for helping patients care for their AVFs. By the end of this module, participants will be able to:
- List three reasons why an AVF is preferable over a graft or catheter.
- Demonstrate, through role playing, three ways to care for an AVF.
- Describe, in a group setting, how to educate patients on care of their AVF.
- Demonstrate, through return demonstration, proper cannulation technique (optional activity).
Module 5: Caring through the End: Final Stage of Chronic (Adobe PDF)
Kidney Disease This module defines palliative care and helps participants identify end-of-life issues that might arise in the facility as well as possible resources and support. By the end of this module, participants will be able to:
- Describe through group discussion how to be a supportive listener when a patient wants to talk about the end of their life.
- Describe, through shared, personal storytelling, what kind of experiences technicians have had listening to patients and addressing their concerns about end of life.
- Demonstrate, through group discussion, familiarity with various support services, both on the unit and in the community, that patients could be directed to when they have end-of-life concerns.
- Define "do not resuscitate" (DNR) orders and the clinic's DNR policy.
- Describe, through group discussion, benefits to addressing end-of-life issues-both for the patient, as well as the staff.
This module provides patient care staff with an understanding of the benefits of arteriovenous fistulas (AVFs), and tips for helping patients care for their AVFs.
Assessment
The last page of each module is an optional pre- and post-test. You may wish to use this with your participants to assess learning or to arrange for CEUs for your staff. Be sure to allow extra time for participants to complete these sheets.
Adapting the Modules for Your Facility
As you read through each module, keep in mind who your trainees are, who your patients are and what is appropriate for your facility. The patients, technicians, nurses and nephrologists who come into the clinic are from different neighborhoods, regions or even countries. In short - we're all from different places! In addition, different facilities will have different policies, protocols and procedures. Trainers are encouraged to adjust these modules to fit their audience's needs. Use these modules in a way that reflects the unique qualities of your technicians and patients. Here are some examples of issues to consider:
Culture
The module called When Patients Have Concerns discusses the importance of active listening, including direct eye contact, as a way to let your patient know you are really listening. But in some Asian cultures, direct eye contact is considered rude. So if you conduct this training in San Francisco's Chinatown, where most of the technicians and patients are Asian, direct eye contact may not be something you want to promote. As another example, the module on Professionalism in Dialysis Care discusses the idea that professionalism includes a businesslike manner. But imagine how dressing for work in Washington, D.C., (where workers tend to dress fairly conservatively) compares with Dallas, Texas, where wearing cowboy boots with a suit and tie is considered appropriate business attire!
Language and Slang
The trainer needs to be aware of language differences, too. These modules were developed in English, but many of your training participants and patients may speak different languages or use different terminology. Facility Protocols and Rules Review each module to ensure that the information, recommendations and exercises are consistent with your facility's protocols. For example, in the Fistula First module, give your trainees appropriate guidance on their role in promoting AVFs as a member of the care team. The module on Caring Through the End is an excellent opportunity to review your facility's policies on DNRs and other guidelines for end-of-life care. But if something in the module does not seem appropriate for your facility or how the trainees actually work with patients in your facility, alter the module as needed.
Tips for Using the Modules
The modules use several key educational strategies to facilitate critical thinking and encourage staff discussion. These strategies include the following:
Short Activities
Most of the activities take only five to 10 minutes, to allow staff to return to work in a reasonable amount of time. These activities are designed to be implemented quickly, to keep participants energized and interested. They are not designed to promote long debates or discussion on the topics. The purpose of quick activities is to impart the one learning objective. Once that objective is met, the activity can be ended. Stay aware of the participants' reaction to the activity. Try not to lose their interest or engagement by taking too long to provide information or by allowing discussions to go off the topic. Some activities lend themselves to in-depth group discussions that may take longer than the recommended amount of time. It is up to the trainer to use time necessary to meet participants' needs while balancing the importance staying on schedule.
Facilitation of Learning
Most of the activities build communication skills. The activities encourage participants to explore questions, answers and possible connections. There are no "right" answers to the activities and discussion questions. In fact, many activities may be done "incorrectly", that is, participants may make mistakes while practicing new skills, and will learn from each other. The role of the trainer is to encourage exploration and to help participants answer their own questions and try out different tactics. Try not to feed answers or correct ideas. Allow discussion among participants and encourage additional research after the training to help answer participant's queries.
Model Open and Nonjudgmental Behavior
In order to be open to new ideas, your staff will need a safe, non-threatening environment for learning. As a trainer, your behavior with, and reactions to, the participants can go a long way toward encouraging a supportive group. The following tips help with group work cohesion:
- Be clear about your expectations for how group members treat each other and how they participate.
- Respect participants' feelings and parameters.
- Respect patient and family confidentiality.
- Model appropriate responses and behavior.
- Demonstrate concepts and use examples when possible.
- Encourage group members to share their experiences at their own pace.
- Listen!
- Let group members react, think and analyze.
- Give compliments.
- Demonstrate acceptance and respect for all participants, regardless of race, religion, social class, or sexual orientation
Leading Role Plays
Most of the modules focus on communication skills, using role plays to allow practice of new techniques. The activities in these modules were designed to be very simple and so as not to put staff on the spot. Role play activities divide groups into pairs, so colleagues can practice with each other, without having to perform in front of a group. Here are some tips to lead a role play successfully:
- Give clear instructions on expectations of the activities, to make participants feel more comfortable.
- Circulate around the room to provide tips on using skills.
- Provide positive feedback.
- Thank participants for their efforts.
- Debrief afterwards with a few questions to allow participants to share what they learned, what was difficult, or what they felt.
- If someone is left without a partner, pair the participant with you, the trainer.
Because some staff may be resistant or uncomfortable with the idea of a role play, the module activities are called "case scenarios" or "practice." If some staff are still resistant to the activity, allow other options to ensure that they can still apply some of the learning's at their own pace. Alternatives to role plays can be: writing down responses to the scenario and sharing with a partner for feedback, or discussing in pairs different options on how to respond to a scenario and looking at pros and cons of various options.
Created by the Academy for Educational Development
and the Mid-Atlantic Renal Coalition
with funding from the
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Be sure to click here for information on other CMS ESRD projects.
These files are also available in MS Word Format here:
Module 1
Module 2
Module 3
Module 4
Module 5
