Zoe Neilly is a self-described techy person who enjoys learning new technology and training others on it. That’s why she jumped at the opportunity to take on the Beaker Credentialed Trainer role as part of Campbellford Memorial Hospital’s (CMH) transition to the new clinical information system, Epic.
“I had some experience training people in previous roles, and I thought it would be cool to learn the system first, figure out the finicky parts, determine an easy way to do things and then train my co-workers,” shared Zoe, a Medical Lab Technologist who has been with CMH for two years and was seconded to the Beaker Credentialed Trainer role.
CMH went live with Epic in December 2021 to use a single integrated clinical information system in the region that centralizes patient information, enhances patient safety and optimizes workflows.
Helping her team move through change
Before the move to EPIC, CMH used a different system so working electronically wasn’t new for Zoe’s team, but there was still a significant difference to the workflows and application screens. Zoe’s role was focused on the validation of the new system and the preparation and execution of training her colleagues.
“The reception to the change was mixed,” reflected Zoe. “Something like this can be considered a really big change for some people and change can be difficult. But looking back now, the feedback from staff has been really good. As soon as you get used to the new screens, it’s really an easier workflow and you can do things a lot easier than the previous system.”
It has also offered the Laboratory Team and other departments extra safety checks built into the system.
“When we go and collect samples from patients who are admitted either in the Emergency Department or on the floor, we have to scan their wrist band that has a barcode on it to confirm the patient’s identification. When we scan that armband, it links to their EPIC chart, and it creates their stickers for their lab test. It’s a way to make sure you’re collecting the right test on the right person.”
Growth and development in the smaller hospital environment
Zoe went into laboratory medicine because she knew she was interested in health care but was more introverted and wanted to focus on the science rather than direct patient care. Working in a small hospital gives Zoe a nice mix – a tiny bit of patient care, but also a variety of lab work. It has also meant opportunities to grow her leaderships skills.
“I think it was a really good experience to learn how to take on more of a leadership role, and I was given the trust and accountability to try to figure out what works best for the department.”
Zoe added: “It was a really good opportunity, too, for different departments in the hospital to work together. All the credentialed trainers would meet up and we would discuss different workflows. It was neat to get the big picture and figure out what works best for the whole hospital.”