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MAKING THE TRANSITION TO HEARTCODE
Gaining Support Staff Reactions to Transition
It is important to include a strong group of people in the
decision-making, implementation, and training processes.
Start by gaining the support of senior leadership—the
CEO, CFO, and CNO are key figures who need to stand
behind the new program. The more leadership and staff
personnel that is onboard from the beginning, the easier
it is to build excitement among hospital staff. Staff members’ responses to such a large transition vary
immensely. There is always a group of people who is very
excited about the change and the benefits of convenience
that come with HeartCode. There is also always a group
who is nervous about making the switch, particularly
those who have test anxiety or are generally averse to
change. HealthStream makes HeartCode training and
navigation of the program very user-friendly. However, it
is important to remember that many people have an
underlying fear that he or she will not know what to do
during a code. HeartCode is a completely different way
of CPR learning than what everyone is used to, and some
anxiety is normal. Emphasizing the positive effects
HeartCode can have on survival outcomes encourages
new users to be patient when they have to try again and
again to pass the simulations. Encourage new users not to
become frustrated because it is challenging to score 100%
immediately; with time they will become caregivers with
quality CPR skills.
Next, create a team of individuals who will lead the
implementation stages. A person needs to be identified
who can act as the administrator of HeartCode. This
person might be from HR, a Director of Education, a
Manager, or a Charge Nurse—anyone who is able to
make assignments, run reports, troubleshoot online
content, and oversee the overall program. Instructors
also need to be selected who can support staff and
provide overall maintenance, and super-users should be
identified who can be supportive of the program and
staff as needed. The involvement of IT is critical to the
team as well because they will be instrumental in keeping
the software maintained and computers updated.
HealthStream is available to help clients during this entire
process—by discussing HeartCode with hospital executives,
setting up the program in the hospital, importing employees
into the system, walking instructors through training,
explaining the necessary system requirements to the IT
department, and more.
HeartCode is a
completely different
way of CPR learning
than what everyone
is used to, and some
anxiety is normal.
Overcoming the Challenges of Transition
Transitioning to HeartCode from the traditional
classroom model is a major shift for hospitals, staff, and
instructors. This change in learning models is one of the
biggest changes that has occurred in the industry in years,
and because students and instructors are accustomed to
a certain teaching format, some pushback can be
anticipated. Quality CPR is extremely difficult to do, and
HeartCode is more challenging and stricter than a
classroom session. An instructor in a classroom does not
have the same ability to measure student skills and
provide specific feedback that can be applied and
instantaneously measured and evaluated. With
HeartCode, users who do not perform quality CPR do
not pass the scen ario and are given opportunities to learn
from their mistakes and redo the session until they pass.
Students and instructors immediately recognize the
differences between program models, and some resist
the change because of the difficulties. It can be a
particularly hard transition for instructors or staff persons
who perform CPR regularly, especially if upon performing
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