Success Stories
Saint Thomas Midtown Hospital: Breaking Down Language Barriers
Saint Thomas Midtown Hospital in Nashville, Tennessee, was challenged to ensure that its safety training would be understood by all its environmental services staff, who speak 17 different native languages. To address this challenge, they set up a buddy system that pairs bilingual associates with those who have some difficulties in English. The system has worked well. "Previously, we had employees who would nod and say they understood, but we never really knew for sure," said Environmental Services Supervisor David Cope. "Now those same employees are asking questions through their buddies. We know they want to learn, and now they have the help they need."
Southern Ohio Medical Center: Oriented Toward Safety
Orientation for new employees at Southern Ohio Medical Center (SOMC) in Portsmouth, Ohio, includes a half-day safety curriculum that covers the hospital’s safety culture, error prevention, ergonomics, safe patient handling, and employee health and wellness. Nurses’ orientation is a full week, and safe patient handling training fills a full day. Residents, too, receive training on these topics. D-Day (Development Day) is an organization-wide, mandatory annual refresher training for all workers and is based on the hospital’s core values, of which safety is one. Workers take safety refreshers and are tested on their knowledge. SOMC also requires annual driver safety training for anyone who drives for the hospital.