Surveyors impressed with OMNI education
Accreditation acknowledged the benefits of OMNI training incentives
Thursday March 20, 2008 -- Camille Jensen
While all long-term care homes suffer from the same problem of retaining and recruiting staff members, surveyors felt OMNI’s education initiatives and bursaries offer great incentives to help counter the challenge, says Linda Burr.
Burr, administrator at Frost Manor, attended the debriefing on the corporate accreditation process March 7 and says the surveyors acknowledged the hard work done by OMNI to retain and recruit staff.
“We have the same problems in our OMNI family that every home is facing right now with retention and recruitment,” says Burr. “It’s really difficult but the surveyors saw that we are working diligently.”
Burr says OMNI has many policies that help motivate new people to come on board and keep staff members at the homes. She points to the recent training of all OMNI staff in supportive measures as an example of OMNI’s commitment to high quality care.
OMNI also offers in house training on a wide range of educational areas. The homes have many in-services dealing with issues around wound care, pain management and palliative care which builds new skills and awareness for staff.
Surveyors took notice, says Burr who adds that OMNI corporate initiatives help each individual home keep and recruit staff.
In 2002, OMNI introduced a bursary fund which gives staff member’s opportunities to increase their professional and personal development in new areas. The bursary program grants staff members up to $500 a year towards new educational and training opportunities.
Marie Murphy, executive assistant at OMNI, says the bursaries program has become quite popular and that more staff each year are using the funds.
Burr says two Personal Support Workers (PSWs) at the Lindsay long-term care home are taking advantage of the bursary, taking the registered practical nurse (RPN) course while working at the home.
For Burr, being able to offer bursaries and incentives and education at the home has made all the difference for recruiting staff. Burr recently hired a new RPN who was drawn to OMNI after learning of the educational opportunities.
“The thing that makes OMNI stand out is the education that we offer and the bursary fund,” says Burr. “When I am hiring someone that goes a long way.”
What has been effective in retaining and recruiting staff in your home? To share your stories, please contact camille(at)axiomnews.ca
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