Rush University Medical Center Designs and Executes New Tower Clinical Workflow Adoption Training

In January 2012, Rush University Medical Center (RUMC) opened a new, state-of-the-art 376-bed tower adjacent to their existing medical center. The Department of Professional Nursing Practice was tasked with the design and implementation of a training program to ensure staff were prepared for the new technologies and environment. RUMC leadership turned to Burwood Group for training and adoption guidance to facilitate a successful transition into the new facility.

The Challenge: Train over 2,000 clinical staff members on new bed tower clinical workflows and technologies, on time and on budget

Burwood Group training consultants worked with RUMC nursing leadership to design a workflow-driven training program with customized, role-specific learning paths. They embraced a blended delivery strategy to enhance knowledge retention and reduce in-person training time. Most importantly, Burwood Group’s solution was designed with the organization’s key outcomes in mind: immediate communication, increased efficiency, and improved patient outcomes.

Having the training executed well was very essential, and because Burwood was part of the build of the workflows and processes related to the clinical communication system, they were in a perfect position to develop the training materials and execute the training for us…accompanied with the electronic learning tools they’re leaving with us, which will be fundamental.
— Eileen Dwyer, Office of Transformation, Rush University Medical Center

Outcomes:

  • An effective training program for all resources within a three-month timeframe

  • Collaboration and adoption across the organization

  • A successful transition into the new tower

Success Metrics:

  • Over 980 nurses trained

  • Over 450 interventional and imaging staff

  • Over 600 support and other clinical staff

  • Over 300 ambassadors trained to give tours and get staff acclimated to space

  • Increase of 18% on quietness level on units that moved

  • Increase of 6% of staff responsiveness on transferrred units