A Solution for You

There are many facets to implementing the Baby Friendly Initiative in hospitals and community health units, some easier than others. The Step many units find daunting is

Step 2: Train all health care staff in skills necessary to implement [the breastfeeding] policy.

This, however, need not be a stumbling block to you achieving your goals. Baby Friendly Education has solved the difficult issues for you. When you use Breastfeeding Essentials for your Baby Friendly Education you’ll find Step 2 to be the easiest Step of all.

High quality, evidence-based education.

All education for health care professionals, should, of course be evidence-based. Breastfeeding Essentials is that, with the advantage to keep it evidence-based, updating the online content as new research is published and confirmed – more up-to-date even than a text book.

However, your staff won’t expect anything less; what they will notice is the quality of the educational experience they have. The content is supported by graphics, tables, short video, quizzes, activities, a workbook and a forum for discussions. Breastfeeding Essentials has been designed for online delivery – easy to read, easy to note the important points, easy to come and go from, and available any time they are. You’ll notice an increasingly well-informed staff who have enjoyed the learning experience you requested they undertake.

Consistent education to all staff

With online delivery of your educational program all of your staff receive identical information. Staff can read and re-read the information, explore the references and linked articles and discuss it with their colleagues. Ultimately this will reduce the number of mothers who complain of conflicting information.

Deliver to ones or thousands

It doesn’t matter how big or how small your unit is. Our facility is able to deal with staff numbers of just a few as easily as we can provide education to a staff of thousands. We have a lot of experience of both.

No costly in-house development

Most units have to do a cost-benefit analysis of the various ways of providing education to their staff. When all possibilities are considered, (eg staff time and resources to develop quality educational content, skilling the presenter, cost of printing, scheduling staff, making allowances for staff on sick leave, new staff joining, administering and maintaining training records, etc,) our customers tell us that online delivery using Breastfeeding Essentials is significantly more cost-effective.

Accurate training records

We provide you with monthly reports detailing all staff who have been enrolled and completed their training. It’s as easy as receiving an email. However, if you want to be more involved your facilitator will have access to the staff records at all times.

Flexible delivery

Each staff member receives ample access to their program from the time they receive their username and password. This can be anytime that you nominate, ie everyone doesn’t have to start together. You’ll find this is beneficial for your budgeting also, being able to spread the cost of staff education to suit your budgeting cycle.

The flexibility suits staff better too. They can nominate a starting date conducive to their lifestyle; then they can study any time of day or night, any day of the week that suits them. Having 6 months to complete the 20 hour program provides them with all the flexibility they need.

Reduced downtime and back-fill

Breastfeeding Essentials has been designed to make learning small amounts of information easy. Unit Managers are often able to allow staff half an hour or an hour during their working hours to study their program. Quiet times at work are also ideal. And many staff enjoy the program so much they are happy to work on it at home in their own time.

However, should it be necessary to schedule separate education time, it can be scheduled individually for times that suit the Unit, rather than having a large number of staff off-line at the same time.

Start anytime

We can be delivering Breastfeeding Essentials to your staff within a few days of you letting us know you are ready to begin. Following that, as soon as you notify us of each new staff member they’ll be emailed their Username and Password and be able to commence immediately.

All of these factors come together to result in

  • high quality education,
  • delivered to a happy staff who have enjoyed their learning experience, and who
  • provide mothers and infants in their care with excellent support and guidance
  • in a hospital that is finding achieving or maintaining Baby Friendly accreditation easier and more cost-effective.

Now that’s the BEST solution!