Cherokee Regional Depends on Relias To Adapt Rapidly and Responsively

CHEROKEE REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER in Cherokee, Iowa, has seen constant, unprecedented changes in the past few years.

Jodi Johnson oversees education on the Relias Platform for Cherokee’s 280 employees across its 25-bed critical access hospital and four clinics. “I wouldn’t be able to live without the Relias training plans,” said Johnson. Relias’ training plans automatically assign courses to staff based on role, experience, and area.

Automation Eases the Pain Points

Automated, department-specific learning plans have helped new hires get off to a confident start. Managers can easily confirm the completion of mandatory attestations reviewing policies and requirements by new hires.

Onboarding is just one aspect of staff education. Keeping track of who needs what training, regulatory requirements, and the latest evidence-based practices was once overwhelming.

When Cherokee Regional began using the Relias Platform, that burden eased because the learning modules align with best practices and are continuously updated.

Features Support Compliance Tracking

Experienced learners can self-enroll in modules to obtain continuing education credits for licensure renewal. Cherokee learners especially appreciated that the Relias Platform integrates with the American Heart Association’s Resuscitation Quality Improvement Program. Also in demand at Cherokee are the cardiac education modules, which offer extensive education on rhythm strip analysis.

Cherokee incentivizes education. Staff members earn a pay increase if they obtain a certification, serve in a preceptor role, or mentor nursing students. They are also paid for their time if they attend training events, even if the training is not required for their position. “If they’re hungry for education, we’re going to compensate for that,” noted Johnson.

Proactive Changes Meet Future Challenges

Cherokee is well-positioned to cope with future challenges. For example, many nursing applicants are brand-new graduates, both on the inpatient side and in the Emergency Department (ED). These new hires need substantial on-demand training.

There’s also a growing trend of people new to the healthcare field entering business office roles. Relias supports efficient onboarding for these staffing trends, which will likely continue.

Using the Relias Skills Checklist, new hires can perform a self-assessment to determine their competency. Supervisors can refer to the checklist to validate their staff’s competency.

Staff Education for Responsiveness and Advancement

Johnson highlighted some specific areas of success with Cherokee Regional’s use of the Relias Platform.

Competence and Confidence Boosts

A recent staff survey revealed that new graduates working with Cherokee for less than a year wanted more orientation time, especially in the ED and surgical areas. Using Relias' modules, Cherokee overhauled onboarding for these employees.

New hires in the ED now move from a shadowing position to an independent position in 10 to 12 weeks. In-demand training topics include cardiac care, clinical decision-making, acuity levels, and trauma nursing.

“It’s about retention and making sure that they feel supported and not just thrown out there to take care of patients when they're not well-prepared,” said Johnson.

Opportunities for Leadership Roles

The hospital has seen staff members move to preceptor roles or become bedside leaders by providing feedback not just on competency but also on their comfort level with specific skills.

With all the recent shifts, Cherokee has depended on Relias to ensure comprehensive training for its new staff and to provide advancement opportunities to support the engagement and retention of all its staff.