Staff training: Learning through video

Staff training

Health organisations across the UK are realising the power of staff training videos. This is because it’s an effective way of standardising information, and it saves money on face-to-face training.

At Health & Care Videos we have already started creating staff training videos for some of our clients. We’re quickly proving that our videos are not just for patient information; they’re useful tools for educating staff too.

Here we’ll explain why video is such an effective training tool, and give some examples of how they can be used.

Why should you use video for staff training?  

Staff training videos are a powerful tool and they can be used in several ways:

1. Standardising information

They standardise the information given to staff, ensuring nothing is missed or lost in translation.

Everyone receives exactly the same training through video, and you can be sure that it’s clear, accurate and concise. It’s also easy to update if processes or medical standards change.

2. Making information accessible

Video is also easily accessible for staff. It’s a medium most should be familiar with as social media channels are full of videos. Younger employees might even respond better to video than face-to-face training.

3. Suiting learning styles

Staff training videos are visually compelling and very memorable. Staff are much more likely to engage with these videos than written training materials. This means that their training will be absorbed better and they’ll be able to deliver a higher quality of care.

Another benefit of using video for staff training is that individuals can return to videos to double-check any areas they’re not sure about.

4. Increasing staff capacity

As videos can be shown on smartphones, tablets and other devices, it means that staff can train around their busy schedules. 

This is much more effective than face-to-face staff training as scheduling can always be a difficult issue. Because of this, videos might also mean staff can onboard faster, as they don’t have to wait for training.

One of the biggest benefits of staff training videos is that they’re very cost-efficient. They reduce (and in some cases remove) the need for face-to-face meetings. Therefore training videos eliminate costly elements like:

  • Travel and accommodation
  • Paper based manuals
  • Training materials (and storage)
  • Additional staff time or shift cover 

As you can see, using video for staff training can be very effective. All you need is a strong plan for your content, a good video production team and a strong implementation strategy to make sure it’s effective.

Examples of clients using Health & Care Videos for staff training

Social care – The Care Certificate

To help standardise care in the social care sector we have created a learning management system focused on digitising the Care Certificate.

We have created a series of videos that will educate carers about the 15 standards, then assess them on that knowledge. It covers important topics such as:

  • Falls prevention
  • UTI treatment
  • Hospital discharge

Our digital Care Certificate LMS is fully accredited so those who complete it will receive a certificate they can use to demonstrate their skills and enhance the care they provide. 

Several of our clients are already taking advantage of the Care Certificate system. Helpr and Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust (TSD) have access to this system and are using it to train carers in their area.

Torbay Council, as part of the Torbay Community Carers Project, is giving all the carers in the local area access to a condensed version of the Care Certificate. They will not receive an accreditation but they will be able to access these resources and use them to develop their caring skills.

Torbay & South Devon NHS Foundation Trust – Dietetics

TSD approached Health & Care Videos to create a series of videos to replace current face-to-face training given by their Dietetics team.

This team of four would go out and visit almost 200 care homes and instruct them in malnutrition identification. However, this severely impacted the time they could spend with patients and consequently increased their waiting lists.

So, we created seven videos outlining how to use the Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (MUST). This is now sent to the care facilities in Torbay and South Devon in the place of the Dietetics team, and is now proven to be an effective staff training tool.

“The videos have provided a means of accessible and user-friendly training for a wide range of health and social care staff in different settings, within an Integrated Care Organisation.” Julie Kemmner, Clinical Community Dietician & Team Lead

STRENGTH Trial – Recruitment training

We created a series of patient-facing videos to help them understand the clinical trial and its process. However, we also made a video for staff on how to recruit patients.

We also made a video giving clinical trial guidance for GPs. This proved really helpful, and made the entire clinical trial recruitment process much more effective.

General training in hospitals

Within our video libraries, we now have a range of videos dedicated to staff training. Here are just a few topics we cover:

  • Infusion devices
  • Syringe pumps
  • Reporting incidents
  • Bed remote

Staff training videos are a really engaging and useful tool. They ensure that your staff deliver consistent and high-quality care, and can save your organisation money in the process.

If you have a training need, or an existing course you want to convert to video, contact our Health & Care Videos team today.