This short interview recorded at the Association for Nursing Professional Development 2018 Annual Convention in Orlando, Florida, offers a fresh look at mandatory training and its expectations that it will achieve staff competence. Importantly, Donna Wright considers the question 'why do we do it?'.

Donna looks at the problems associated with routine mandatory training - still so common in many health settings. Questioning whether it is always the best way to improve staff competence, she reveals a possible downside to mandatory training. Rather, she sets her focus on how to achieve desired outcomes.

Indeed, in the introduction to her book entitled ‘The ultimate guide to competency assessment in health care (2005)’ she states:

• “It is easy for us to fall into the common competency assessment traps. We can commit to assessing so many competencies that we begin to drown in them. We can get stuck in the trap of measuring the same competencies year after year …”
• Talking in a plain language she describes how to implement a much more meaningful approach to competency assessment.
• If you are involved in mandatory training or are forced to undertake it year on year, in your healthcare organisation - you need to watch this very engaging interview.

References:
Creative Healthcare Management 2018, ‘Resources for healthcare professionals, viewed 7 December 2018, https://shop.chcm.com/.
Wright, D 2005, Ultimate guide to competency assessment in healthcare, 3rd edn, Creative Healthcare Management, Minneapolis.
Wright, D 2015, Competency assessment field guide: a real world guide for implementation and application, Creative Healthcare Management, Minneapolis.