Healthcare education stands at a critical juncture. The transition to Competency-Based Education (CBE) heralds a new era of tailored educational experiences—but it’s not without its hurdles. This transformative shift will fundamentally change the pathway to becoming a healthcare professional, prioritizing mastery over the traditional metrics of time spent in class. Such an approach promises to produce clinicians who are better equipped to meet the diverse needs of patients in real world practice.
Yet, the implementation of CBE poses significant challenges, from revamping curricula to training faculty and evaluating student competencies effectively. In this article, we’ll talk about six of the most common challenges healthcare educators face in the shift to CBE, and briefly outline actionable strategies to surmount them.
1. Adjusting to Self-Paced Learning
Challenge: CBE is structured around students progressing at their own pace—an approach fundamentally different from the traditional time-bound model. Learners accustomed to structured frameworks may grapple with managing their time effectively.
Solution: Institutions should provide sufficient support systems, including time management workshops, peer study groups, and access to academic advisors. Educators should also guide students in setting realistic goals and creating personal learning plans.
2. Assessing Diverse Competencies
Challenge: Competency in healthcare isn’t just about clinical knowledge—it encompasses practical skills, communication, and ethical decision-making. Assessing these diverse competencies, especially soft skills, can be complex.
Solution: Utilize a variety of assessment methods, such as OSCEs (Objective Structured Clinical Examinations), reflective essays, and 360-degree feedback tools. Training assessors in the use of these diverse tools to makes sure they are confident in their implementation and ensures that evaluations are both comprehensive and fair.
3. Integrating Theoretical Knowledge with Clinical Practice
Challenge: Bridging the divide between theoretical learning and clinical application is daunting. Students may excel in classroom settings but struggle to apply knowledge in real-world scenarios.
Solution: Incorporate simulation-based learning and early clinical exposures into the curriculum. These experiences allow students to apply classroom theory in a practical, yet controlled environment, building confidence and competence.
4. Tailoring Education to Individual Needs
Challenge: CBE demands that education be individualized. However, providing personalized learning experiences in a field as vast as healthcare can overwhelm educators.
Solution: Invest in educational technology that can adapt to different learning styles and needs but also offer standardized experiences when appropriate. Additionally, educators should promote self-reflection, helping students identify their own competency gaps and learning preferences.
5. Ensuring Faculty Buy-In and Training
Challenge: Moving to a CBE model requires buy-in from all stakeholders, especially faculty who may be rooted in traditional teaching methods.
Solution: Offer faculty development programs that emphasize the value of CBE and provide training in the latest educational strategies and technologies. Engaging faculty in the design of CBE curricula can also foster a sense of ownership and ease the transition.
6. Tracking Competencies Across the Curriculum
Challenge: In CBE, where the focus shifts from traditional classroom time to the acquisition of specific competencies or skills, it’s crucial to monitor each student’s progress meticulously. Without a systematic approach, educators can find it challenging to provide timely feedback, identify areas needing improvement, or even ensure that all necessary competencies are being adequately covered throughout the course of study.
Solution: Robust competency tracking solutions offer clear accessible platforms that enable both students and educators to monitor progress in real-time. By integrating this technology, institutions can streamline the competency tracking process, making it easier to identify gaps in knowledge or skills early on. For students, this translates to a clearer understanding of their strengths and areas for improvement, allowing them to focus their efforts more effectively. For educators, it means being able to provide targeted support and adjustments to the curriculum to meet students’ needs dynamically.
Overcoming the Challenges of CBE
The road to competency in healthcare education is fraught with obstacles, yet with thoughtful strategy and dedicated resources, it is a path that leads to skilled, adaptable, and confident healthcare professionals.
EMS helps institutions on this journey with its Competency solution. Competency helps learners with clinical skill development, promotes evidence-based practice, and increases the efficiency of educational delivery, all while aligning with budgetary and resource optimization needs.
To discover how EMS’s competency solutions can elevate your institution’s educational outcomes while also optimizing your budget and resources, we invite you to contact us today.