Birmingham-based Children’s of Alabama has expanded its behavioral health and de-escalation training strategy as demand for mental health services has risen during and since the pandemic.
In response, the hospital adopted a layered education approach built around online courses from Pediatric Learning Solutions to provide early and ongoing training for front-line staff, according to a Feb. 25 article on the Children’s Hospital Association website. Rather than relying on in-person crisis prevention programs for select units, the organization shifted to broader, continual education — a move designed to enhance onboarding and annual reinforcement.
“More staff are encountering challenging behaviors, even if behavioral health isn’t their primary focus. Nurses, clinical assistants and other frontline staff need tools to recognize escalation early and respond appropriately,” Alyssa Cooper, MSN, RN, director of the hospital’s nursing professional development, said in the article.
She oversees education for more than 2,100 nursing employees. Within nursing services, RNs and clinical assistants complete courses including “crisis prevention through verbal and nonverbal de-escalation strategies” and “care of the pediatric patient with suicidal ideation.” RNs also take “caring for the patient with behavioral challenges” and “effective use of psychotropic medications in the prevention and management of disruptive behaviors.”
The suicide-related course has become a regulatory standard to ensure screening across the nation, Ms. Cooper said in the article. The organization uses the Donabedian model to determine annual course assignments, balancing internal education with external content and limiting excessive computer-based training.
Children’s of Alabama said the online courses provide documents of competency through built-in assessments and support staff who may not receive intensive Crisis Prevention Institute training.
