Are Your Employees Aware of Proper Hospital Waste Management Protocol?
There is no doubt that hospital waste management protocols are important. However, having the proper protocol is useless if employees are unaware they exist or untrained on how to use them. According to the World Health Organization, despite being just a small percentage of the overall health care facilities, hospitals generate the highest percentage of annual healthcare waste. Hospital waste management protocols protect both the patients and the staff from the potential for harm by ensuring that no one comes in contact with hazardous materials such as sharps or other infected materials. Even small errors in waste management can cause major damage, so it’s crucial that all employees are properly notified and trained in hospital waste management.
Training is rarely fun – for the teacher or the trainee. It’s also hard to make training efficient without the trainee staring at a screen for many hours – which likely means they’re not absorbing much of the information anyway. So the big question here is how do you- as an employer – effectively train your employees in proper hospital waste management protocol? Here are a few ideas to make training more enjoyable and efficient for everyone involved.
Create an interactive environment
While some information requires a classroom lecture environment, include as many opportunities for interaction as possible. “Interactive learning is a more hands-on, real-world process of relaying information in classrooms. Passive learning relies on listening to teachers lecture or rote memorization of information, figures, or equations. But with interactive learning, students are invited to participate in the conversation…” states Scholastic.com. Most employees will remember more from a hands on experience than they will from a presentation slide. Create role-play scenarios, bring props, or turn the content into a game or competition.
Avoid content overload
People can only pay attention and absorb information for so long before they tune out. Breaking the content down into multiple 30-45 minute sessions will make it easier for everyone to digest the information and pay attention. It also puts less strain on the instructor when they aren’t responsible for preparing hours worth of material.
Invite Guest Speakers
Whether it’s the waste management transportation worker or an expert in waste management protocol, each person in the hospital waste management chain brings a different perspective to the group. Facilitating interaction between the various departments can open up a better understanding of the process from start to finish.
At SecureMed we recognize we’re just one link in the chain of hospital waste management, but we do our part with excellence. We’re proud to provide a variety of medical waste transport and disposal services. We’re licensed and permitted to transport medical waste, and we work hard to make our services convenient, efficient, and affordable. We want to make your job as easy as possible and give you the ultimate peace of mind. We can partner with you to complete the process of waste management safely and securely. Contact us today for a free, easy quote. In Birmingham call (205) 677-8420 or in Huntsville call (256) 513-9271.
