Gagge, Beth, RN

Robinson, Paula, MSN, RN, BC, RN

English

Lehigh Valley Health Network: LVHN Scholarly Works

Lehigh Valley Health NetworkLVHN Scholarly WorksPatient Care Services / NursingThe Benefits of Pre-employment Testing inAmbulatory CarePaula Robinson MSN, RN, BC, RNLehigh Valley Health Network, Paula.Robinson@lvhn.orgBeth Gagge RNLehigh Valley Health Network, beth_r.gagge@lvhn.orgFollow this and additional works at: http://scholarlyworks.lvhn.org/patient-care-services-nursingPart of the Nursing CommonsThis Poster is brought to you for free and open access by LVHN Scholarly Works. It has been accepted for inclusion in LVHN Scholarly Works by anauthorized administrator. For more information, please contact LibraryServices@lvhn.org.Published In/Presented AtRobinson, P., Gagge, B. (2015, April 15). The Benefits of Pre-employment Testing in Ambulatory Care. Poster presented at: AmericanAcademy of Ambulatory Care Nursing 40th Annual Conference, Lake Buena Vista, FL. Outcomes© 2015 Lehigh Valley Health NetworkPaula Robinson, MSN, RN, and Beth Gagge, RNLehigh Valley Physician Group (LVPG): LVPG was founded in 1993 as a not-for-profit subsidiary of Lehigh Valley Health Network, one of the largest health systems in eastern Pennsylvania.  LVPG is among the largest medical groups in the United States with more than 700 physicians and more than 300 advanced practice clinicians representing 46 medical specialties in 141 practices across three counties.  The combined total of clinical staff support in the practices is estimated at 600 with a combined skill mix of registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, and medical assistants.  In 2014, LVPG provided ambulatory care services to 1,945, 764 patients. Background:According to the experts, pre-employment testing can lead to higher productivity.  Research has shown that cognitive baseline knowledge assessments provide a more accurate predictor of job performance than other traditional methods of employee selection techniques.  Heneman, Judge, & Kammeyer-Mueller (2011) conducted a comprehensive review of peer-reviewed studies related to selection techniques and concluded that cognitive testing is twice as predictive as job interviews, three times as predictive as experience, and four times as predictive as education level. The researchers infer that cognitive tests are accurate predictors of job performance because this type of evaluation measures problem solving, the ability to learn and apply new information, critical thinking, and reasoning.Reference: Heneman H., Judge T., & Kammeyer-Mueller J. (May 23, 2011). Staffing Organizations 7th Edition. McGraw- Hill Education (McGraw-Hill Ryerson Publishers). New York, NY. ISBN: 0078112680.Analyzing Current State and Identifying Gaps:People: The current testing process did not measure the capabilities or skills required by the candidate to work effectively in ambulatory practices.  There was no direct correlation between test scores and the ability to forecast the candidate’s performance or critical behaviors in the clinical setting (Example: vital signs, anatomy, medication administration).Quality: The method of testing new hires and existing staff prior to the fall of 2013, was the utilization of an outdated and poorly designed assessment tool which focused heavily on basic math skills.   Service:   •  There was a perceived lack of transparency related to communication between key stakeholders throughout the hiring process (LVPG Clinical Services, The Practice Manager, & Human Resources). •  There were no standard operating procedures to improve communication and identify specific role responsibilities for each department involved in the employee pre hire selection process. Planning a New Process for Pre Hire Employment Testing: Goals/Targets/Desired Outcome  •  Improve the quality of the pre hire testing process by confirming job relatedness of tests for ambulatory clinical staff in the physician office setting.	 	 	 –	 	Created	a	new	written	examination	to	support	the	relevance	and	practicality	of	test	content	and	the	candidate’s	previous	academic	instruction	or	work	experience	(Figures 1 and 2). 		 	 	 –	 	Revised	the	critical	behavior	skills	portion	of	the	testing	and	had	each	candidate	perform	specific	psychomotor	skills	(including	SQ	and	IM	injections	on	low	fidelity	task	trainers)	(Figure 3).	 	 	 –	 	Collaborated	with	network	statisticians	to	review	the	structure	of	test	questions	and	confirm	face	validity	for	the	written	assessment	of	the	testing	process. •  Implement focus groups to evaluate cognitive testing and critical behavior tools to determine content validity of re-structured assessment tools. 	 	 	 –	 	Conducted	focus	groups	with	RNs	working	in	the	float	pool	and	Medical	Assistants	from	various	medical	specialties	to	support	content	validity	of	the	newly	designed	written	exam. •  Develop a communication plan between the Human Resources Department and Practice Managers utilizing web based request forms and standard operating procedures specifically created for pre-employment testing.	 	 	 –	 	Created	two	Standard	Operating	Procedures	(LVPG	Employment	Testing	Pre	Hire	Process	and	LVPG	Employment	Testing	Requirements).		 	 	 –	 	Developed	and	implemented	a	web	based	form	where	Practice	Managers	could	go	to	request	a	pre	hire	interview	assessment.		The	owners	of	the	form	included	all	LVPG	Clinical	Educators,	the	Director	of	Clinical	Education,	&	Human	Resource	Recruiters.		This	improved	transparency	allowed	all	stakeholders	to	view	job	applications	and	potential	candidates	for	open	positions	throughout	141	practices	(Figure 4).Lehigh Valley Health Network, Allentown, PAThe Benefits of Pre-employment Testing in Ambulatory CareFigure 1.FY 2014 Pre Hire Testing Results: Medical Assistant Education and TrainingFigure 2.FY 2014 Pre Hire Testing Results:Medical AssistantsFigure 3.FY 2014 Pre Hire Testing Results:Average Scores by Job Description (Includes	Critical	Behavior	Skill	Sets)Figure 4.Pre Hire Web Form RequestLincoln TechnicalInstitute41%Other20%McCann TechnicalInstitute28%Lehigh CarbonCommunity College6%NorthamptonCommunity College5%MAI MAII MAI-MAIIJob Positions Applied For in LVPGTotal Number of Applicants020406080100120RN LPN MAAverage Score Per Job DescriptionAverage Pre Hire Test Score0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%MagnetTM	Since2002

The Benefits of Pre-employment Testing in Ambulatory Care

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The Benefits of Pre-employment Testing in Ambulatory Care

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