Tag Archive: Medicology


Bespoke Training

Filed Under: Training & Development by Kirsty — Leave a comment
December 22, 2008

There seems to be a growing problem in the current economic climate with employers denying employees study leave to attend courses, it seems that the trusts do not have the funds to be able to afford to cover it. This can cause problems as it can cause a decrease in motivation as they are not being allowed to develop in a professional capacity. It can also be costly to the staff as in many cases some companies charge a cancellation fee or do not offer refunds on fees already paid. However, there is good news in the times of doom and gloom there are bespoke courses which involve bringing the training to the employees. It is also known as in-house training.

There are a number of training companies that offer bespoke training, one such company is Medicology Ltd who have provided bespoke training to many trusts across the UK. The advantages of bespoke training include relatively low overall costs as you are bringing the training in-house thus either no or very little travel or accommodation expenses. A further advantage is that with bespoke training employers have the ability to work with provider to tailor the training to their unique specification.

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How morale levels affect the workplace

Filed Under: Training & Development by Kirsty — Leave a comment
December 22, 2008

Morale is a way of measuring how happy a person is in the workplace. This can be done using various methods which include questionaires or interviews. Medicology has launched a morale testing instrument, for more details see Morale Testing Instrument.

Things that can affect morale levels include:

  • Job Security
  • Levels of Pay
  • The Working Environment
  • Chance to Progress (Professionl Development)
  • The Management

Basically morale has two levels it can be high or low; if morale is high then it means that the staff are happy and productivity will be high but if it is low then staff are unhappy thus having a negative impact on productivity which can be potentially dangerous for example if a doctor has low morale then tey are more likely to make mistakes. It can also cause companies to have high rates of absence as low morale can have a detrimental effect on health as there are links between low morale and mental health problems such as depression. Please be aware that not illness is caused by low morale.

If you find morale is low first you need to identify what is causing the low morale once this has been identified there are a number of options which can applied to rectify this although everyone needs to appreciate that change will not neccessarily occur overnight although if change takes too long staff may assume that management is stalling and morale may further deteriorate therefore communication is key to improving the situation. There are lots of options which may help to rectify the failing morale these include attending training courses such as those provided by Medicology others include open negotiations with staff.

To maintain high morale it is important to recognise staff’s achievements, and offer support when you notice that they are struggling. Although it sounds obvious but most people fail to acknowledge their staff’s achievements I’m not saying that you have to spend lots of money to show your staff that they are appreciated you can use bonuses but there is nothing easier than simply saying: “well done”.

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Training initiatives

Filed Under: Training & Development by Kirsty — Leave a comment
August 16, 2008

There are numerous training initiatives available, these are designed to encourage those who either can’t afford or are unable to access the conventional training programmes offered by companies such as Medicology Ltd who offer training mainly aimed at Medical Professionals but also offer initiatives such as the Partnership Programme.

Initiatives help people to gain employment by bridging the gap between the skills people offer and the skills employers want thus improving an individuals employment prospects. Initiatives can sometimes take the form of work experience for which you don’t always get paid for or learn while you earn otherwise known as an apprenticeship. Although many initiatives are government funded there are some that are organised through private institutions. When trying to find a training initiative it can be very confusing as there are so many so to make it simple here is a basic plan to help find the one that’s right for you:

  • Decide what area you are looking to gain training in (i.e. medicine, I.T etc.)
  • Find out if there are any Initiatives in your local area information about these can be obtained from the following:
      Adult Education Centre
      College
      Internet
      Library
      Services such as Connexions
  • Check the requirements for the initiative
  • Then if everything is OK then enrol and GO FOR IT!
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How training can help develop your business

Filed Under: Training & Development by Kirsty — Leave a comment
August 16, 2008

Training can help develop business as it allows staff to gain new skills; this is good for several reasons for a start you wont need to spend time and money recruiting more staff. Also if staff are update with current practice and are able to work efficiently then you are likely to have a more productive business which can ultimately mean more money. In terms of the medical professions training can keep staff up to date with protocol and the latest treatments thus meaning able to save more lives and possibly even reduce waiting times for patients therefore in private practices making more money as you are seeing more patients.

Training can also keep staff motivated as they are able to develop as a person or perhaps gain promotion within the company, which can be beneficial to you as a boss as it frees up your time as you can delegate and give your staff more responsibility. Confidence can be a benefit of training as the staff gain new skills as well as reinforcing their existing knowledge, this can act as motivation; it can also be an advantage from a boss’ perspective as if you were looking to expand you can promote your existing staff as confidence is one of the factors of a good leader/manager.

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Training and development- effective methods

Filed Under: Training & Development by Kirsty — Leave a comment
August 14, 2008

Training is the acquisition of knowledge and skills as a result of the teaching of vocational or practical skills. Throughout your career there will be some degree of training taking place to keep all practices up to date to maintain optimum performance; this can be done through a number of methods including:

  • Attending Courses
  • Online Training
  • Practical Training

Depending on your learning style (how you learn best) will depend which you find the most effective. One organisation that delivers training courses, mainly to NHS staff is Medicology Ltd.

Training can allow an individual to develop their career, you could go for that management position you’ve always wanted; it also allows for personal development.

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The difference between Leadership and Management

Filed Under: Leaderhsip & Management by Kirsty — Leave a comment
August 10, 2008

The terms Leadership and Management are often used interchangeably, however they are two separate ideas.

Let’s start with leadership. Leadership is a quality that management must have but they also need effective authority, it is said that leaders tend to think radically which essentially means that they use their intuition rather than always doing things “by the book”. This can sometimes be beneficial to the company as it allows ideas to progress beyond the rigid framework set out in “the book”.

A leader has to maintain a “can do” attitude and have to be as the title suggests a leader rather than a follower even when they come up against obstacles. Leaders relish a challenge and will stand up for what they believe in and is prepared to go above the call of duty when necessary. Leaders use every opportunity to learn including failure and are often aware of their personal impact on others and recognise the indicators of both their strengths and weaknesses. A good leader is resilient and their main focus is working for the good of the team rather than for personal gain, this can be achieved by good time management. Leaders know who the key influences are and involve them when required.

One of the key qualities of a leader is to keep others motivated which can sometimes be difficult as leaders are busy fulfilling their own role within the company.

Now to management put simply this is getting people together to achieve goals it can . Managers have to be able to plan, organise and lead to control an organisation, managers are also responsible for allocating human, financial and technological resources. Managers often delegate tasks and promote good time management within their team and also have to attempt to resolve conflicts within the workplace with minimal disruption.

There are numerous benefits to good leadership and management these include:

  • Motivated Staff
  • Conflicts resolved effectively
  • High productivity
  • Resources would be used efficiently
  • Good time management

These can be achieved through a combination of personal and training
.

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Leadership in Medicine

Filed Under: Leaderhsip & Management, The NHS and Healthcare by Kirsty — Leave a comment
September 3, 2006

When the acknowledged father of modern management, Peter Drucker, was quoted in Fortune for saying ?Leadership is all hype. We?ve had three great leaders in this century – Hitler, Stalin & Mao? he would have found many ears, highlighting the sheer lack of understanding of what leadership actually is and the enormous benefits it can bring to both individuals and organisations. Inside this article we?ll examine not only what leadership really is but also how this relates to healthcare, why it?s so vital at the present time and what embracing its principles can really do for you in this challenging era of healthcare reform

Let’s work with an example. St Anytown NHS Trust is working with a raft of initiatives and reforms from simply balancing the books to modernising medical careers. You?re charged with reducing your departments spend by 20% without reducing throughput. You plan carefully trying to minimise the effects of cuts but as you step into implementation you find a host of adverse reactions from plain old resistance through to sickness, absence, internal bickering and even staff leaving because they have ?had enough?. Despite the careful and logical approach to organising the cost-saving initiatives, it seems that the whole department wants to disrupt it. Whereas you understand the imperative you equally sympathise with the team. Neither lessens your frustration at not being able to achieve. You?ve just uncovered the difference between effective or efficient management and a particular type of leadership. The NHS hierarchy – a singular view of leadership In common with most management scientists, Trust Boards and Government tend to view leadership as a functional part of the managers role i.e. just one of the things an effective manager does. Consequently, development of leaders is often aimed at turning doctors into managers. This helps individuals better manage staff but completely fails to fill the leadership void, or address the type of leadership that the NHS really needs right now. Whereas effectiveness in this functional leadership is vital for organisational performance, it falls way short of the ?situational? leadership needed to hold the organisation together. Yes, I am suggesting that we are getting better at managing the NHS but failing to hold the NHS together.

You probably gauge my sense of feeling in this and if you want to learn more about our approach to leadership in the NHS then try http://www.medicology.co.uk

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