Hospital increases CE Direct use through creative incentive

Julie Monroe, Associate Director of Marketing, Gannett Education

Keeping nurses up-to-date with current medical information and encouraging continuing education activities is always a challenge in today’s busy healthcare environment. Nancy Pregnar, clinical nurse educator and Debbie Dillon, Director of Nursing Practice, Education and Research at Montgomery General Hospital, came up with a solution to this challenge. Nancy says, "We understand the value of CE Direct. However, we needed to see if our nurses do." Their goal is to take full advantage of what CE Direct offers nurses.

The number of nurses using the system was lower than anticipated. Nancy decided they needed some type of incentive to increase their CE Direct usage. "We came up with the idea of raffling off an IPOD. The timing of the contest was in line with the start of a new school semester, presenting the perfect opportunity to facilitate learning through CE Direct. Besides, everyone loves the chance to win a prize," says Pregnar. With 300 nurses, they felt the odds of nurses entering the raffle were favorable.

To be eligible for the raffle, nurses were required to complete any CE Direct course within the month of September. Nancy promoted the raffle by handing out flyers, sending out a newsletter, and spreading the word throughout various departments. The Grand Prize — a shiny silver IPOD shuffle!

The IPOD raffle idea was a win-win for everyone. Nancy Pregnar says, "Our plan worked. The number of nurses using CE Direct quadrupled!" Nurses offered feedback after the raffle —

The content was great
CE Direct modules were easy to digest
They used the information in conjunction with their departmental initiatives
They expressed personal satisfaction with their work
They felt more equipped to meet organizational objectives.

Nancy and her team of preceptors and charge nurses were instrumental in encouraging their peers to take advantage of the tools available to them. Nancy says, "CE Direct is beneficial to everyone. One nurse who works in our mental health unit wants to enhance her knowledge related to medical-surgical diagnoses. Her goal is to be prepared to care for patients co-morbidities, who comprise an increasing portion of her patient population. With CE Direct, she has access to a variety of educational materials that will help her accomplish this goal."

"Every eight years the body of medical knowledge doubles. I am always learning, and I know our nurses are too. Today’s environment makes it necessary for our nurses to use online programs, so CE Direct is a user-friendly option for them," says Pregnar.

Highly encouraged by this raffle, Nancy is currently seeking creative and innovative ways to incorporate CE Direct into their organizational objectives and long-term goals.