Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

Ronnie Peterson

Publications and source records attributed to Ronnie Peterson.

9 recordsLinked to original sources

Prevention and education to decrease patient falls due to syncope.

This article describes a fall reduction program implemented by the University of Wisconsin Medical Foundation in its 50+ clinic sites and departments located across 5 counties in Southern Wisconsin. The fall reduction program specifically targeted falls due to faints in the clinic setting. To reduce the organization's main reason for patient falls, guidelines were developed and mandatory education was given to staff working in high-risk areas.

Accident Prevention↗

Bringing poetry into staff development.

"Quello che mai fue detto d'alfcuna," words from Dante, "strive to say which was never said by anyone." This is the art of true verbal expression, the essence of poetry. Poet W. H. Auden once wrote that "poetry can open spaces of meaning for the human spirit that is more intimate to other human beings than it is to ourselves" (Auden, 1968). Poetry has many definitions. To some, it is the rhythmic verse they remember from grade school or from Mother Goose. To others, poetry is a verse of meter and measure, of balance and harmony. However, to most individuals, poetry is the ultimate expression of human emotion. Roy (1999) believed that nursing is in need of poetry, in order to evoke the deepest of images, fears, questions, and quests of the human spirit and the nursing profession. This article examines the use of poetry and how it might be incorporated into staff education.

Education, Nursing, Continuing↗

W-H-E-E-L of Disaster.

Many states require long-term care facilities to develop mandatory training sessions on several safety, infection, and biohazard-related topics. The challenge for most facilities is how to make learning exciting and new. Many training sessions are mandatory, so the challenge for educators is how to take the boredom out of going to inservice programs. This article outlines an inservice program developed at Attic Angel Place in Madison, WI. Using the popular television show Wheel of Fortune as a model, the facility developed a similar game-like training program dealing with accident prevention, fire and tornado safety, and biohazardous materials. Of the facility's 175 full- and part-time employees, 75 attended the "Wheel of Disaster."

Accident Prevention↗

Developing a web page: bringing clinics online.

Introducing clinical staff education, along with new policies and procedures, to over 50 different clinical sites can be a challenge. As any staff educator will confess, getting people to attend an educational inservice session can be difficult. Clinical staff request training, but no one has time to attend training sessions. Putting the training along with the policies and other information into "neat" concise packages via the computer and over the company's intranet was the way to go. However, how do you bring the clinics online when some of the clinical staff may still be reluctant to turn on their computers for anything other than to gather laboratory results? Developing an easy, fun, and accessible Web page was the answer. This article outlines the development of the first training Web page at the University of Wisconsin Medical Foundation, Madison, WI.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗

Developing clinical competencies/training checklists: when you have to start from scratch!

Where does an educator begin to develop competencies if the organization has not had formal written standards, has few clinical policies and procedures, or has not had consistent training checklists? The educator may have to begin from scratch. During a year-long process, 50+ clinical sites and 500+ clinical staff (nurses and medical assistants) played an active role in improving clinical orientation by assisting with the development of clinical competencies/ training checklists. This article outlines the development of the clinical competencies/ training checklists for the University of Wisconsin Medical Foundation (UWMF), Madison, Wisconsin.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗

Establishing standards for intranet on-line education.

Following a clear set of on-line programming standards assists educators with consistency the training expectations from participants. Placing staff educational materials and health information online is an effective way to disseminate information and an efficient method of providing ongoing staff education. The presentation of on-line programming should be organized, comprehensive, and up-to-date. In addition, on-line programming should also be appealing, dynamic, and, above all practical. Today's clinical staff are pushed to the limits of time and resources. On-line training is one way to help staff meet their learning needs in today's reality. The inception of the UWMF on-line educational programs began in January 2002. Since that date employee participation has increased steadily. The time for Intranet on-line program development is part of the staff education department. For example, one area of programming is the mandatory educational credits needed for the organizations 100 certified medical assistants (CMAs). Figure 1 shows the nearly 3.5 years (January 2002 through May 2005) of participation. The 912 sessions made available 1,870 CEs for the CMAs. If the organization's CMAs were to pay for the continuing education credits (CEs) outside of the clinic setting, it could cost on average of dollar 10.00 per CE, or dollar 18,700 during the same 3-year period. Another aspect of economics is the cost in time away from work. On-line education allows employees to participate when time is available, versus having to leave work when traditional educational inservices are being held. This flexibility in participation can lead to better staff coverage.

Computer Communication Networks↗