Manage
Accounts 
Additional
Resources 
Long-Term Care
Learning Management Systems: Their place in healthcare
By Diane M. Billings, EdD, RN, FAAN
Following our discussion during today's audioconference, we realized that one big component of implementing new classroom technology includes bringing in a Learning Management System (LMS). Basically, an LMS includes software tools designed to manage learning. Many LMSs are Web-based and are able to facilitate "anytime, any place, any pace" access to administration and learning content. LMSs are especially relevant in healthcare as compliance training remains essential. Characteristics of LMSs often include:
- The ability to manage users, courses, and instructors
- The inclusion of a course calendar
- Access to messaging learners
- The chance to display scores and transcripts
There are many different types of LMSs that are available, including Blackboard Inc., Saba Software, and ATutor. What have your experiences been with using LMSs, and which ones have you found to be most effective (or ineffective) in your educational endeavors?
We recentlly switched from an easily accessed system to uLearn and the results were disasterous. The log on and registration were so complex that few could actually complete the training on their own. It took me hours to put together a semicoherent power point program to guide our staff in the operating room and it took literally hours to complete each module (there are 6-8 different modules dependent on job classification). After months of complaints to corporate and non-compliance at record highs, changes were finally promised, but have yet to be delivered.
The moral of the story is don't make the software so complex that no one can use it. The progam should be tested before it is implemented!