Health Plus: Training never ends for health care workers - KWWL.com

Medical advancements mean change is constant in the health care profession.

That's why training never stops for hospital staff.

In Health Plus, go inside a classroom for nurses.

These students already have their degrees and a lot of experience, but as hospital employees continuing education is part of the job.

"We do training for all of the staff in the hospital not just the clinicians that are touching the patients everyday. There's so much that goes on behind-the-scenes in the organization that we're able to work with the plan ops or the housekeeping department," said Jackie Jaspers, Clinical Development Manager.

Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare's Clinical Development Department works with staff to ensure everyone meets annual training requirements.

"We do that through facilitating continuing education and we facilitate trainings and also are liaisons when we on-board new nurses. We kinda have our hands in a lot of different things," said Jenny Bigler, Clinical Development Coordinator.

SAL, short for Save-A-Life, is a training mannequin used to simulate real-life scenarios.

It's one way instructors say they can keep learning interesting.

"We tap into our whole Wheaton system. We have a team of educators throughout Wheaton Franciscan healthcare that we can collaborate with and bounce ideas off of and if there's something that we're doing that's best practice in Wisconsin how can we bring that to Iowa and make sure that our staff is doing that as well," Jaspers said. 

Instructor-led or computer-based courses are offered as part of keeping anyone who has contact with a patient in an environment of lifelong learning.

Registered nurses, for example, have to complete 36 contact hours every three years.