Getting Hesitant Care Staff to use Technology
4G. Browser. Export. Cloud. Server. Live chat. Cover photo. GDPR.
Chances are, you probably have employees who would be hard pressed to tell you what any of those words mean. Moreover, if you have members of staff who have never owned a smartphone or had a social media account, getting them to embrace the intricacies of new software and systems at work will be a challenge.
Not only can new technology be intimidating, the implementation of care management software disrupts the way employees have been carrying out their daily tasks for years (sometimes even decades)! As a result, don’t be surprised if you find this change met with resistance and skepticism from staff who didn’t grow up in the digital world and have remained disengaged from it.
So, how can you motivate skeptical employees to use your new software?
Here are some strategies that can help:
1. Roll out changes in phases.
Software pilots go astray when people get lost in features and functionality details. Often times, these don’t even have a significant impact on the outcome a care provider is aiming to achieve. Our advice? Decide which features and functionality of the software will be used the most. Deploy the most essential first and get everyone comfortable using those aspects of the platform before moving onto another phase. Consequently, this ensures no one gets side-tracked with fringe scenarios that make the software more complicated than it needs to be.
StoriiCare Tip: The feature icons on your Dashboard are customizable. You can edit the template so that only the features you actually want staff to use appear. Simplifying your Dashboard reduces the chance of new users getting overwhelmed and makes it easier to navigate. Here’s how to edit the features on your Dashboard: Click ‘Business Settings’ in the top, right-hand corner of your cover photo on the dashboard > click ‘Features’ on the left hand side > tick the boxes of the features you want to enable/disable > hit ‘Save’.
2. Designate someone as a ‘champion’ who can provide ongoing help.
Investing in proper training from the beginning is the single best way to support a successful transition for all users. In our experience, residential care homes and adult day care centers benefit from assigning one or two tech-savvy members of staff to be ‘champions’. These individuals are commit to helping bridge the gap for service users who have a greater learning curve when it comes to using a new system. Consequently, choose individuals who carry influence amongst their coworkers and make sure these early adopters are encouraging. They will be your references and internal case studies when you move forward to deploy subsequent phases.
StoriiCare Tip: Contact us or open up the Live Chat box anytime so that our team can provide options for additional training support!
3. Start with the basics and go slow.
We’re talking the very basics: how to store and charge your device, how to turn on your device, how to set and enter a password, how to connect to wifi, etc. After that, we suggest you pick a basic feature (i.e. recording an activity or general note) to go over. Then, ensure that each person feels confident in their ability to carry out that task before introducing another feature.
StoriiCare Tip: Be sure to take full advantage of our training resources! To do this, click the ‘Training’ tab in the top, left-hand corner of your StoriiCare Dashboard. Here you will find technical guides, training videos, a list of recent updates and more!
4. Encourage exploration and feedback.
Rest easy knowing that any mistakes that may be made can be reversed. Therefore, the best way to learn and get comfortable with a new system is to play around and explore features.
For instance, have staff practice various tasks (i.e. create a playlist for a specific resident) or make up a scenario they would respond to (i.e. Mrs. Turner fell in the bathroom. Fill out an Accident Report and update her Falls Risk Assessment). Additionally, keep the focus on outcomes you are trying to achieve. This sets an intention for the journey that even the naysayers can usually get on board with. Ask for feedback from staff as they explore, so they feel heard and supported.
StoriiCare Tip: It’s always a good idea to create a ‘Test’ profile on StoriiCare for new users to play around. As a result, they can build up confidence in their abilities to navigate the platform.
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