Rapid advances and shifts in technology and ongoing staffing pressures call for imaging leaders to rethink how they train and support their teams. For this Director’s Circle article, ICE Magazine asked imaging leaders at three healthcare facilities how training expectations have evolved, what indicators matter most when selecting education programs and how new learning models are being used to strengthen workforce readiness across every modality. Participants in the article are:
- University Hospitals Radiology Manager Paul Benjamin;
- Madison Health Director of Diagnostic Service Casey Dye; and
- UC Health System Director of Radiology Jacqui Rose.
Q: How have training expectations for imaging professionals evolved in the past five years, especially with the rise of AI-enabled and connected imaging systems?
BENJAMIN: Training is more regimented. All training is documented electronically and is done online or tracked online. Gone are the days of paper sign-off sheets that were stuck in the file. As a result, better compliance and quicker turnaround time for training is expected.
DYE: In today’s environment, leaders are expected to blend both traditional leadership skills with the assistance of AI. This combination allows them to streamline operations they have responsibility for. With AI advancing so quickly, frequent classes and training is a must.
ROSE: I believe our team’s training expectations have been higher than we have delivered in the past and it’s time for us as leaders to step up. Studies tell us that new teammates determine if they will stay at an organization based on how well they were oriented and how their ongoing growth opportunities are addressed. These will continue to evolve, and we as leaders must rise to that challenge and develop ways to exceed those needs for our incoming teammates to ensure long-term retention. There are many newer tools such as AI that will enable us to create training programs that are less staff intensive and more quality focused than in the past. We must create full preceptor orientation models that dedicate time and resources to training new teammates to ensure they thrive rather than just surviving in our organizations. Ongoing education must be well developed and planned to fully engage new teammates in new and creative ways. They must also be developed in ways that minimize time away from patient care as our staffing is still difficult and likely not to improve, so finding that balance is important.
Q: What key indicators should individuals evaluate when choosing a training program in today’s rapidly advancing imaging landscape?
BENJAMIN: Key indicators individuals should evaluate when choosing a training program include:
- Accountability
- Accuracy
- Engaging/interesting content
- Reportability
- Ease of creating custom content
DYE: Two key indicators to evaluate in this rapidly advancing imaging landscape are how well the training program uses current practices to the industry. The second is that the skills you learn are usable to help you grow your practice.
ROSE: To me, the most important key indicator is feedback from our new teammates. Each teammate is different and wants different things, so being flexible and creating training that meets their needs is the most important. Remember our new teammates are very diverse and as we develop our training and orientation models, keeping that flexible is required. During a recent survey, it was interesting that growth and development meant something very different to different people. To some, it did mean opportunities to learn and grow in leadership opportunities, but to others, it simply meant learning a new area or skill, but not upward mobility. So, getting a solid understanding of what growth and learning means to each teammate is important as well to ensure you use your resources wisely.
Q: In what ways can advanced, modality-specific or cross-modality training strengthen a professional’s long-term career trajectory?
BENJAMIN: The ways advanced, modality-specific or cross-modality training can strengthen a professional’s long-term career trajectory include:
- Marketability – Demand a better salary
- Knowledge is power
- Better work product for employers
DYE: Rising healthcare costs and tightening reimbursement will only increase demand for multimodality technologists across the country. As organizations scrutinize staffing models, professionals who can competently work in multiple modalities will stand out as more valuable and significantly more marketable when pursuing new opportunities for themselves.
ROSE: I continually tell potential and current imaging teammates that this is the best profession on Earth because we have so many potential directions to go. After 30-plus years, I am as passionate about this as I was when I started. There is never a reason for anyone in this industry to get bored or burn out. This industry offers so many opportunities to continue to learn and grow in new areas, modalities and directions that if you get bored, you are doing something wrong. Come see me! This is a career for a lifetime of fulfilling passion and purpose. I know it can be frustrating, but we are helping heal people – what can be more fulfilling?
Q: How does ongoing staff training improve department performance, patient safety and technology uptime within an imaging facility?
BENJAMIN: Standardized, accurate training will increase patient safety as well as continuity of care across a health system. Patients are getting the same experience no matter which site they are imaged at.
DYE: Team training is essential for maintaining smooth, efficient patient flow from check-in through completion of the exam. When staff are confident with equipment and protocols, they can work faster, reduce errors and devote their full attention to the patient in front of them.
ROSE: Ongoing training only serves to improve all that we do throughout the continuum of imaging, from frontline radiographers to our biomedical engineers all the way to our leadership team. We should all continue to learn every day and we should continue to develop every teammate along the way to ensure our team and our patients get the best care they deserve. If we commit to continual learning, our services will be the best and our team will achieve the best outcomes for our patients and customers. To achieve this, we must take our orientation and training to the next level utilizing technology to enhance both delivery and content.
Q: Many organizations are facing staffing shortages and increased exam volumes. How can strategic training initiatives help facilities overcome these operational challenges?
BENJAMIN: The less time spent training the better. A standardized online training approach allows users to train when they have time rather than having to block time away from a scanner.
DYE: Leveraging multimodality technologists is no longer optional; it is essential for today’s imaging departments. At the same time, be an advocate in your communities by partnering with local high schools, participating in career days and educating students who are exploring post-high school graduation options about this amazing field within healthcare.
ROSE: Training is desired by most teammates and enhances the likelihood that they will stay at an organization, that retention will help overcome the staffing challenges and certainly help train the next generation of radiographers as well. These radiographers ultimately feel more valued within their organization and are more loyal over time, which translates to willingness to weather the tough times together. There’s nothing more frustrating to a team than having disengaged teammates. Utilization of AI can enhance our technologists’ productivity to overcome some of our staffing challenges and enable us to look at our staffing models in a more creative way than ever before. Possibly utilizing more tech assistants, who are more readily available, is another way to help alleviate the stress teams feel every day.
Q: What new training formats, platforms, or delivery methods are proving most effective?
BENJAMIN: Digital training that can be tracked by DNV and provides a consistent message. One-on-one training is still the gold standard, so a hybrid model where basic information is given via online training and then confirmed by in-person competencies has proven most effective.
ROSE: As our workforce changes and budgets are tighter, we must look to the most creative and valued options for training. Any opportunity to do virtual training is valuable in today’s environment. We must be creative in developing opportunities and funding for our teams participating in these training opportunities. As mentioned earlier, it’s increasingly difficult to get teammates away from patient care to participate in training, so breaking sessions down into smaller, shorter sessions is invaluable. So, the overall theme is creativity in all that we do with training and education.
Q: What should ICE Magazine readers understand about the future of training and professional development in imaging – both the opportunities and the challenges ahead?
BENJAMIN: Technology will improve training. But in the words of our former President, “Trust but verify” – online is great but competencies will always be needed for confirmation.
ROSE: As an imaging nation, we can and should continue to develop opportunities that are cost effective for our teammates as we forge ahead. We should partner with other organizations to develop content collaboratively to drive quality and lower cost. Our challenges and barriers will not stop in healthcare, so we must continually find ways to mitigate them and bring our teams what they need and want in new and different formats.
