The Frustration You Know Too Well
If you’ve been in healthcare leadership for more than five minutes, you’ve probably experienced this scenario:
It’s the end of the month, and you’re still chasing down training completions.
You’ve sent polite reminders… then “friendly” reminders… and now you’re debating whether to stand in the breakroom with a laptop just to get people to log in.
You know your team cares about doing their jobs well. But between staffing shortages, unexpected call-outs, and the never-ending to-do list, training completion can slide to the bottom of their priorities.
The bigger frustration? Even when they do complete the training, you’re not always seeing those skills applied on the floor. That’s when it’s time to look beyond “check-the-box” training and move toward learning that actually sticks.
Why Adult Learning Is Different
In healthcare, we’re often training a mix of people—some who are brand new to the workforce and others who have decades of experience. Regardless of where they start, adult learners:
- Bring personal experiences that shape how they process new information.
- Want to know why something matters before they’ll give it their attention.
- Learn best when they can apply it immediately to their work with the individuals they care for.
If the training doesn’t feel relevant to their daily challenges—whether they’re in their first month or their twentieth year—it’s likely to be forgotten before the next shift even starts.
Scenario Learning: Bringing the “Why” Front and Center
Scenario learning takes real-life situations—often pulled directly from your own facility—and uses them as a training anchor.
Why managers love it:
- It addresses actual problems happening in your building.
- Staff can safely practice decision-making before it’s needed in real life.
- It invites discussion, which often uncovers hidden issues you didn’t know existed.
Example:
Instead of assigning a generic module on abuse prevention, open your next huddle with:
“Last quarter, we had a situation where a staff member raised their voice at an individual during care. Let’s talk through what should happen in that moment and how it could be handled differently.”
You’ve just taken a required annual topic and turned it into a real-world problem-solving exercise that your team will remember far longer than a quiz question.
Gamification: Turning Training Into a Challenge Worth Winning
Let’s be honest—many staff see required training as “something I have to do when I get a chance.” Gamification changes that to “something I want to beat my coworkers at.”
How it helps managers:
- Creates urgency without constant nagging.
- Builds friendly competition between shifts or departments.
- Encourages staff to talk about the training with each other—reinforcing retention.
Example:
Run a “Fire Safety Challenge” where teams race to correctly identify hazards in a mock room setup. Award a coffee gift card to the winning team and track completions on a public leaderboard in the breakroom or on your LMS dashboard.
Microlearning: Making It Doable
One of the biggest reasons staff don’t complete training? Time.
That’s why Healthcare Academy’s microlearning works—short, targeted lessons that can be done between tasks, on break, or even right before a shift starts.
For managers, this means:
- You’re not pulling staff away for long blocks of training time.
- Training is more flexible and less disruptive to the schedule.
- Staff can absorb and apply information in small, memorable doses.
Pairing microlearning with scenario-based discussion or gamified activities keeps training both doable and impactful. For example:
- Assign a 5-minute Healthcare Academy module to support your training needs.
- Follow it up with a quick team challenge to spot handwashing errors in a roleplay.
Putting It All Together: A Manager’s Playbook
- Pick the Topic — Use your annual requirements or address a recent issue.
- Choose the Format — Microlearning for core content, plus a live scenario or game to reinforce it.
- Set the Tone — Make it clear this isn’t just about checking a box—it’s about improving care and making the workday safer and smoother.
- Track & Celebrate — Use leaderboards, recognition boards, or shift shoutouts to acknowledge completions and wins.
- Follow Up — Drop a short quiz or another microlearning module a week later to keep it fresh.
Final Word for Managers
Training doesn’t have to be another thing you chase your team down for at the end of every month. When you combine adult learning principles with scenario-based training, gamification, and the efficiency of microlearning, you create a culture where training is something your staff can actually look forward to—and something you can trust will make an impact on the floor.
And the best part? You spend less time reminding and more time leading.
Ready to strengthen your teams learning and confidence while saving time?
Contact Us to learn how Healthcare Academy’s microlearning solutions can support your organization’s goals for compliance, performance and professional growth.
Author
Amanda Keith, MSN, RN, PHN, PhD
Healthcare Academy Clinical Content Manager
