Perfecting POCT Training, Procedural Documents

Participants in AACC’s upcoming Boot Camp on point-of-care testing (POCT) will walk away with strategies and solutions for effectively training non-laboratorians to make the best use of POCT .

Sound Off! Establishing a Cadence with Non-laboratorians Through Competency, Policies and Procedures, is the third of 4 sessions taking place at Point-of-Care Testing Boot Camp and Beyond: Communicating, Connecting and Collaborating, a 1-day, interactive program taking place on December 7 in Baltimore.

A gap exists in the offerings for point of care coordinator (POCC) program development—something the Boot Camp organizers noticed in their survey findings, and from networking with POCCs across the country. Their nationwide survey of POCT groups revealed four areas of interest: education and training; policies and procedures; connectivity and information technology; and regulations and accreditation.

The Boot Camp will address these interests, targeting the critical needs for POCCs. “We will include interactive discussions and assistance in applying the tips and tools from these sessions,” Lou Ann Wyer, MS, MT(ASCP), CQA(ASQ), laboratory director for Sentara Healthcare, told CLN Stat.

During the Sound Off! Session Wyer expects to discuss strategies for constructing procedural documents that non-laboratorians will be able to understand. “History tells us that laboratorians develop policies and procedures that are very technical in nature and not so appealing to bedside care providers who perform POC test procedures,” she explained.

Participants will learn about simplifying work processes and procedures through process mapping and effective formatting. Focusing on patient safety, Wyer will also explain how to assess documents for risk of error. “The end result will be a procedure that is well written and easy to follow and understand. We will practice these techniques during an activity session so participants can leave with a solid understanding of procedure writing for POC testing personnel,” she said.

Joining Wyer will be Peggy Mann, MS, MT (ASCP), ambulatory POCC/program manager at University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, who will address educating and training nurses in POCT. She’ll also describe components, tools, and strategies for a successful training program.

No matter their professional discipline—respiratory therapists, registered nurses, or POCCs— individuals who train others to use POCT need a battery of tools and strategies to successfully engage learners, Mann said.

Laboratory-trained and nursing/respiratory therapy-trained educators should recognize the differences between education and training, she emphasized. “With the short time allotted for instruction and training, training programs that are well-designed expedite successful training outcomes. The operators may be more engaged if the trainers communicate why the instrument/kit selected was chosen.”

Other POCT experts join Mann and Wyer in discussing Boot Camp basics, including:

Jeanne Mumford, MT (ASCP), pathology manager, POCT at Johns Hopkins University Hospital, Baltimore;
William Clarke, PhD, associate professor of pathology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore;
Kerstin Halverson, MS, clinical applications representative for critical care at Instrumentation Laboratory, Bedford, Massachusetts (formerly POC coordinator at Children’s Hospitals & Clinics, Minneapolis); and
Kim Skala, MT (ASCP), a clinical specialist for critical care and POC at Instrumentation Laboratory in Bedford, Massachusetts.

Through these interactive sessions, the goal is for participants to discover new strategies on POCT training, Mann said. “Hopefully, the result of our Boot Camp shows up in more successful POC programs across the country.”