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corporate training

Curriculum Design

Healthcare Onboarding Program

Structured new employee training for a regional healthcare network

Healthcare Onboarding Program project illustration

12

Facilities Standardized

3

Onboarding Tiers

23

Core Training Modules

90 Day

Milestone Framework

Challenge

Standardize onboarding across 12 facilities while maintaining flexibility for department-specific requirements and meeting compliance with healthcare regulations.

  • Inconsistent onboarding experiences across 12 facilities leading to knowledge gaps and quality variations, with new employees receiving different training depending on their assigned location
  • Complex regulatory requirements including HIPAA, OSHA, Joint Commission, and state-specific healthcare compliance with documented completion evidence
  • High turnover rate in first 90 days indicated inadequate preparation; exit interviews revealed confusion about roles, insufficient systems training, and lack of cultural integration
  • 1,200+ employees across clinical (RNs, LPNs, CNAs), administrative (billing, scheduling, medical records), and support roles (environmental services, food service) requiring role-specific onboarding paths
  • Legacy onboarding relied on paper checklists, in-person shadowing, and department-specific orientation with no centralized tracking or quality assurance
  • Manager feedback indicated new employees took 6-8 weeks to reach baseline productivity, significantly longer than industry benchmarks of 3-4 weeks
Process

Applied systematic needs analysis across all 12 facilities to identify universal vs. role-specific requirements, then designed a three-tiered modular architecture with automated tracking and compliance reporting through Workday Learning.

Step 1

Multi-Facility Needs Analysis

Conducted stakeholder interviews across all 12 facilities with department managers, compliance officers, HR leadership, and a sample of recent hires. Documented facility-specific variations, identified regulatory requirements (HIPAA, OSHA, Joint Commission standards), and analyzed existing training materials. Mapped the complete employee journey from offer acceptance through 90-day milestone to pinpoint where new employees struggled most.

Step 2

Full Content Audit

Catalogued 87 existing training documents, presentations, and videos across all facilities. Assessed each for regulatory compliance, instructional quality, and reusability. Identified critical gaps including insufficient HIPAA training depth, missing patient communication scenarios, and no standardized systems training. Created a content inventory matrix mapping existing materials to job roles and compliance requirements, revealing significant redundancy and inconsistency across facilities.

Three-tier onboarding architecture showing Core Compliance, Role-Specific, and Ongoing Development paths across 12 facilities
Tiered onboarding architecture designed for regulatory compliance while adapting to role-specific needs
Step 3

Tiered Curriculum Architecture

Designed three-tier modular structure: (1) Universal Core covering HIPAA, safety, organizational culture, and benefits (required for all 1,200+ employees), (2) Role-Based Tracks with specialized content for clinical staff (medication administration, infection control), administrative roles (billing systems, scheduling software), and support services (environmental protocols, food safety), and (3) Facility-Specific Orientation addressing building layouts, local procedures, and team introductions. This architecture allowed for standardization while preserving necessary customization.

Step 4

Interactive Module Development

Built 23 core modules with scenario-based learning, knowledge checks, and simulated system interactions. Created 15 role-specific training paths with job shadowing guides, competency checklists, and practice scenarios. Developed patient communication training with branching video scenarios addressing difficult conversations, cultural competency, and de-escalation techniques. All content designed for accessibility with closed captions, screen reader compatibility, and mobile responsiveness.

Step 5

Workday Learning Integration & Automation

Configured Workday Learning to automatically assign training based on job role, department, and facility location. Built compliance dashboard providing real-time visibility into completion rates, overdue assignments, and certification status. Integrated automated reminder sequences and manager notifications. Created reporting templates for Joint Commission audits and state regulatory inspections for immediate access to training documentation.

Solution

A three-tiered onboarding program designed to deliver standardized core compliance training, customized role-specific content, and automated tracking through Workday Learning.

Universal Core Compliance Training

Standardized 12-module core curriculum required for all employees covering HIPAA privacy and security rules, OSHA workplace safety, infection control protocols, fire safety and emergency procedures, patient rights and confidentiality, organizational mission and values, and benefits enrollment. Each module includes knowledge checks with 80% passing threshold and completion certificates automatically filed in employee records.

Role-Based Learning Paths with System Simulations

Three specialized tracks with hands-on practice environments: Clinical Path includes medication administration protocols, EMR system training with simulated patient charts, infection control procedures, and Joint Commission patient safety goals. Administrative Path covers medical billing and coding, scheduling system training, insurance verification procedures, and medical records management. Support Services Path addresses environmental cleaning protocols, food safety certifications, equipment operation, and workplace hazard identification.

Interactive Patient Communication Scenarios

15 branching video scenarios address real-world situations: delivering difficult news, working with anxious patients, cultural competency in diverse patient populations, de-escalation techniques for agitated family members, and language barrier navigation. Learners receive immediate feedback on their choices with expert commentary explaining best practices. Scenarios are based on actual situations encountered across the 12 facilities.

Real-Time Compliance Dashboard & Reporting

Executive dashboard provides facility-level and organization-wide completion metrics with drill-down capability to individual employee status. Automated alerts notify managers of overdue assignments 7 days before deadlines. Pre-built compliance reports for Joint Commission audits, OSHA inspections, and state regulatory reviews provide instant access to training documentation with completion dates, test scores, and certification records. Dashboard dramatically reduces compliance reporting preparation time.

Manager Success Toolkit

Complete resources supporting managers through new employee integration: 90-day onboarding checklist with milestone check-ins at days 1, 7, 30, 60, and 90; conversation guides for performance discussions and goal-setting; competency assessment templates aligned with role-specific training; escalation protocols for struggling employees; and recognition strategies for celebrating early wins. Toolkit includes video training for new managers on effective onboarding practices.

Mobile-First Design with Offline Access

All training modules optimized for mobile devices allowing employees to complete orientation before their first day or during breaks between shifts. Offline access capability enables completion without facility WiFi. Content automatically syncs when connection is restored. Mobile design increases completion rates by allowing flexible learning around personal schedules.

Tiered healthcare onboarding structure diagram showing role-based learning paths for clinical, administrative, and support staff
Modular onboarding architecture supporting 1,200+ employees across diverse healthcare roles
Lessons Learned

Standardization and flexibility aren't mutually exclusive

The three-tiered architecture is designed to enforce compliance on core modules while allowing departments to customize role-specific content.

Manager engagement is the single biggest predictor of onboarding success

The Manager Success Toolkit with milestone check-ins is designed to improve new hire retention during the critical first 90 days.

Automated compliance tracking saves hundreds of audit hours

Pre-built Workday reports are designed to dramatically reduce Joint Commission audit preparation time.

Results

12

Facilities Standardized

3

Onboarding Tiers

23

Core Training Modules

90 Day

Milestone Framework