Case Management Focus: Are YOU too Busy to Learn?

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) -- I am the education chair for two organizations, the National Association of Healthcare Advocacy and the All Florida Case Management Network, the regional group for the Case Management Society of America. The role of the education committee is to develop CE programs that will aid in the professional development of both organizations. 

I love putting CE programs together as it helps me keep up with trends, changes, and challenges in the diverse healthcare industry. 

Many continuing education programs since the COVID pandemic have gone virtual. Now that the crisis is settling down, many people prefer virtual continuing education programs as there is no travel and no hotel costs, as you can attend the program in the comfort of your home. The downside of virtual is that you are in your home office/or outside the office and can get distracted. 

Last week, I was at a webinar conference titled The Landscape of Patient Safety: Where We've Been, Where We're Going. I had scheduled the conference on my calendar and logged on at the appointed time. I listened to a few of the sessions, which were great, and then I started to get calls and emails and felt that I had to leave to 'take care of business .'I never got back to the event and missed a good portion. One good thing is that the webinar site is open for 30  days, so I can listen to the sessions I missed on demand. 

I planned the Ken Schueler Cancer Seminar for the National Association of Healthcare Advocates. We were thrilled that we had over 100 people register. On the day of the seminar, we only had 44 people attend. I was very disappointed as we had a great line-up of speakers, and the content was perfect for all (people/consumers/patients/caregivers, and professionals). This program will be available on demand, so those who registered and who could not attend will catch it on demand. The webinar is free to participate in, so if you are interested, check out the website. 

I much prefer onsite meetings as I leave distractions behind. And because I have to pay for travel, hotel, airfare, and the registration fee, I make sure I attend all of the sessions and events offered as part of the conference, maximizing my investment. 

In addition to the content presented at a conference, I meet people in person and the vendors who support the program. This is another aspect of professional development that is often missed with virtual. 

In my mind, Virtual is ok, but I would instead attend in person to get the whole conference experience. 

Today, case managers are pulled in many directions, but we need to make time for ourselves for both our personal and professional responsibilities. Professional development is essential and part of our responsibility as healthcare professionals. The industry is changing too fast not to keep up if we want to do our jobs well. 

So, I am writing this note for myself and for readers of WorkerCompensation.com to remind us to make time in our busy lives to ‘stop and smell the roses’ in our personal lives and make room in our professional life to continuously learning! 

What type of learning do you prefer? Virtual or onsite? If you have found a way to take advantage of virtual learning in your practice, please share your tips so we all can learn! 

Have a good week! 

Share This Article: