What is Mandatory Training?

In its simplest form, mandatory training refers to compulsory training (online or in-person) that an organisation requires anyone working in that place to undertake. The workplace prescribes mandatory training, which may differ according to the function of staff groups, disciplines, and roles. It enables employees to undertake their roles safely and effectively (Queensland Health 2019).

Mandatory training offers one means to minimise risk to an organisation’s workforce and supports organisations in providing person-centred quality care and service. As described by NSW Health (2020), mandatory training ‘keeps the workforce safe’.

What Should Mandatory Training Focus on?

Mandatory training should focus on the provision of quality care and risk avoidance, aligning with:

• Specific laws and compliance, e.g.
• Health Acts
• Aged Care Acts
• Work Health and Safety Legislation
• National Standards relevant to the organisation, e.g. NSQHS Standards, Strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards, NDIS Practice Standards
• An organisation’s clinical governance framework
• An organisation’s internal policies and procedures
• Industry expectations

How do We Ensure Mandatory Training Promotes Quality of Care?

If the goal of mandatory training is to avoid risk, whilst also promoting quality care and service, what can we do to ensure that we achieve these outcomes in our organisations?

As Donna Wright (2018) states:

What are the Challenges of Mandatory Training?

Poorly designed mandatory training programs can lead to several issues, summarised below.

Challenge	Description
Low engagement	Employees may click through modules without learning, reinforcing negative views of mandatory training.
Poor compliance rates	Training requirements may be missed or skipped.
Training fatigue	Overwhelming demands can disillusion staff, especially high-performing employees.
Costs	Unnecessary training time increases costs to an organisation as a result of paid-staff training requirements (Fair Work Act).
Unmanageable schedules	Excessive training requirements exacerbate other challenges, such as poor compliance, cost, and disengagement.
Lack of clear metrics	Difficulty in assessing effectiveness and justifying which items should remain mandatory.

Best Practice Approach to Developing Mandatory Training

If the goal of mandatory training is to increase the quality of care, then the training should be high-integrity. Developing an effective mandatory training program requires following a best-practice cycle of planning, implementation, and evaluation.

• Plan: Conduct an annual training needs assessment, align modules with regulatory standards, and use data to determine necessary training. Schedule staggered learning to maximise engagement and avoid burnout.
• Implement: Deliver training through various modes such as online mandatory training modules, in-person sessions, especially if competency verification is required, or blended learning approaches.
• Evaluate: Use an LMS to track and report compliance, assess the effectiveness of the training plan, and incorporate improvements into the continuous improvement plan and ongoing mandatory training planning.

Is Mandatory Training the Same as CPD?

To put it simply - it depends.

Mandatory training differs from CPD requirements for registered health professionals under the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law in force in each state and territory (AHPRA 2021).

The CPD standard for registration sets out the prescribed minimum amount of CPD that a practitioner must complete to meet the standard for registration and remain registered. (Paramedicine Board of Australia 2018).

Individual registered health practitioners may reflect on and document completed mandatory training activities as part of their ongoing CPD requirements… if the activity meets a relevant learning need (Paramedicine Board of Australia, 2018).

Are There Repercussions for Not Completing Mandatory Training?

Without mandatory training, will quality care and risk avoidance occur?

Let's recall the goal of mandatory training: to align staff with relevant external laws and internal policies and procedures.

The Queensland Health Policy (2021) states, 'The employee is not to perform certain duties until their training is completed’. So a possible repercussion of not completing mandatory training is that a staff member is unable to use a partiuclar piece of equipment and thus cannot be placed on the floor. This may place additional pressure on staffing if you a manager cannot allocate particular beds or staff to a certain person because they’re not competent in managing a specific resident/situation or piece of equipment.

When Should Mandatory Training Occur?

This will vary. Organisations may choose to conduct learning in a "crammed" environment, requiring learners to complete a large amount of training over a very short period. We know this approach is not aligned with or conducive to our mandatory training goals of avoiding risk while promoting quality care and service.

Scheduling Mandatory Training

At Ausmed, we recommend staggering your mandatory training across 12 months so that only one or two requirements are due for learners each month. When training is delivered in this way, it can enable:

• A more manageable, enjoyable learning experience for staff
• Reduced training burden and associated fatigue
• Positive learning culture
• Better management of outstanding compliance requirements
• More learners to meet their compliance deadlines more often
• Better retention and application of knowledge, and hopefully, better patient care
• Organisations are better placed to achieve a state of continuous, rolling compliance

Is All Training Mandatory?

No, not all workplace training and education needs to be mandatory. Making everything mandatory has some unintended consequences. Many other types of training and education can be undertaken, which may not fall into the mandatory category.

Other training that is not necessarily mandatory includes:

• Continuing professional development (CPD)*
• Career development
• Leadership development
• Mentoring
• Enquiry-based learning
• Microlearning
• Competency-based / Outcome-based learning

*See ‘Is Mandatory Training the Same as CPD?’ above for more details.

How to Deliver High Quality Mandatory Training on an Ongoing Basis

Continuous improvement within any organisation stems from a deliberate and thoughtful approach to developing employee training programs.

To deliver high-quality mandatory training, the proper educational method and the right educational situation must be chosen. You must also ensure the training is delivered to the right target audience. This can be made more accessible by incorporating the following steps into the process when developing a mandatory training program:

• Planning for urgent learning needs to be addressed
• Rapidly adjusting training plans according to need
• Encouraging regular reviews of Mandatory Training plans (topic/type, job role and frequency)
• Encouraging assessment of the integrity, design and quality of Mandatory Training activities prior to learning being assigned.

Why Does the Quality of Education Matter?

The purpose of education is not only to promote staff compliance. An activity with a quality design and integrity will also encourage better engagement and achievement of the desired learning. So, especially when it's mandatory, the quality of education is critical.

Quality education is designed to:

• Maximise engagement with credible, interesting, engaging content
• Create a culture of learning
• Reduce resource wastage ($)
• Contribute towards the desired learning outcomes
• Includes a purposeful evaluation to measure the effectiveness of the educational activity.

What are the Learning Outcomes of Mandatory Training?

Learning outcomes should focus on compliance awareness, risk mitigation, and providing quality, person-centred care. The desired outcome of mandatory training is that staff should be equipped with the necessary knowledge, skills, and competencies to perform their job roles effectively and safely. Most organisations support additional learning and professional development opportunities.

Promoting Engagement with Mandatory Training

Strategy	Description
Relevant Training Tailored to Job Role	Explanation: Customisng training content to match the specific responsibilities and challenges of different job roles ensures that the material is immediately applicable and valuable to the participants. Impact: Staff are more likely to engage with and retain information they perceive as directly relevant to their daily tasks. This relevance makes the training feel purposeful and important.
Real-life Scenarios & Case Studies	Explanation: Incorporating real-life scenarios and case studies allows staff to see the practical application of theoretical knowledge. Impact: This approach helps to bridge the gap between theory and practice, making the training more relatable and engaging. Participants can better understand how to apply what they learn in real-world situations.
Interactive Components (Q&As)	Explanation: Including interactive elements like question-and-answer sessions fosters active participation and engagement. Impact: Interactive components encourage learners to think critically, ask questions, and clarify doubts in real time. This interactive format can also make the training feel less monotonous.
Bite-sized Content (Not Excessive in Duration)	Explanation: Breaking down training content into shorter, manageable segments helps to prevent information overload and keeps participants focused. Impact: Bite-sized content is easier to digest and retain, making employees more likely to engage with the material. Shorter sessions also respect the participants’ time, making them more willing to participate.
Collaborative Activities (Inter-professional Learning)	Explanation: Encouraging collaborative activities, such as group discussions and projects, promotes teamwork and inter-professional learning. Impact: Collaboration fosters a sense of community and shared learning. It allows participants to learn from each other’s experiences and perspectives, enhancing the learning experience.
Creative Media	Explanation: Utilising various forms of creative media, such as videos, infographics, and animations, can make training sessions more engaging and visually appealing. Impact: Creative media can capture and hold attention more effectively than traditional text-based content. It also caters to different learning styles, making the training more inclusive and engaging. A picture says a thousand words!
Varied Delivery Methods (Online, In-person, Blended)	Explanation: Offering a mix of online, in-person, and blended training options provides flexibility and caters to different learning preferences. Impact: Varied delivery methods can accommodate different schedules and learning environments, making it easier for staff to participate in training. This flexibility can increase overall engagement and completion rates.
Opportunity to Validate Skill with Hands-on Practice	Explanation: Providing opportunities for hands-on practice allows participants to apply what they’ve learned in a controlled environment. Impact: Hands-on practice reinforces learning by allowing staff to experiment and receive immediate feedback. It builds confidence and competence, making the training more effective and engaging.

Does Completion of Mandatory Training Mean Competence?

Not necessarily.

Learning activities deliberately designed as competency-based education are more likely to result in competence (Creative Health Management 2018).

Competency-based training must be individualised to an identified gap in knowledge, skill, practice, confidence or competence and designed to achieve a specific, desired outcome where there are verification methods and evidence that the desired outcome attached to the activity has been assessed and occurs.

Does Completing Mandatory Training Mean You Will Pass an Audit?

No. Education alone does not mean you will pass an audit. Education does not solve every problem. Education is not always the answer (Queensland Health 2019). Education, including mandatory training, is just one pillar of an organisation’s overall clinical governance framework. If the education is not needed, or it was designed to solve the wrong gap in policy and procedure or resourcing and staffing, it will not fix the problem.

Strong leadership, clinical excellence, a positive learning culture, risk management, quality and digital clinical information systems, high-performance teams and the care environment are all essential ingredients to providing high quality, safe and effective care. Mandatory training alone is not going to ensure these desired outcomes occur (Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care 2017).

References

• AHPRA 2019, Registration Standards, AHPRA & National Boards, https://www.ahpra.gov.au/Registration/Registration-Standards.aspx
• Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care 2017, National Model Clinical Governance Framework. Sydney, (NSW), viewed 16 June, 2024, https://www.safetyandquality.gov.au/sites/default/files/migrated/National-Model-Clinical-Governance-Framework.pdf
• Creative Healthcare Management 2018, Resources for healthcare professionals, viewed 16 June, 2024, https://shop.chcm.com/
• Fair Work Australia, Unpaid Work, viewed 16 June 2024, https://shop.chcm.com/
• NSW Health Education and Training 2020, Mandatory Training, NSW Government, https://www.heti.nsw.gov.au/education-and-training/my-health-learning/mandatory-training
• Paramedicine Board of Australia 2018. Continuing professional development registration standard, AHPRA, https://www.paramedicineboard.gov.au/Professional-standards/Registration-standards/CPD.aspx
• Royal College of Nursing, Professional Development Publication, RCN, https://www.rcn.org.uk/Professional-Development/publications/pdf-006689
• Safer Care Victoria 2017, Delivering high-quality healthcare: Victorian clinical governance framework, Department of Health and Human Services, https://www2.health.vic.gov.au/about/publications/policiesandguidelines/Delivering-high-quality-healthcare-Victorian-clinical-governance-policy
• Queensland Health 2021, Mandatory training: Human Resource Policy, Queensland Government, https://www.health.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0034/395845/qh-pol-183.pdf
• Wright, D. 2018, Mandatory Education: Why Do We Do it?, Ausmed Education Pty Ltd, https://www.ausmed.com.au/cpd/lecture/mandatory-education-why-do-we-do-it

Author

Zoe Youl 

Zoe Youl is a Critical Care Registered Nurse with over ten years of experience at Ausmed, currently as Head of Community. With expertise in critical care nursing, clinical governance, education and nursing professional development, she has built an in-depth understanding of the educational and regulatory needs of the Australian healthcare sector.

As the Accredited Provider Program Director (AP-PD) of the Ausmed Education Learning Centre, she maintains and applies accreditation frameworks in software and education. In 2024, Zoe lead the Ausmed Education Learning Centre to achieve Accreditation with Distinction for the fourth consecutive cycle with the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s (ANCC) Commission on Accreditation. The AELC is the only Australian provider of nursing continuing professional development to receive this prestigious recognition.

Zoe holds a Master's in Nursing Management and Leadership, and her professional interests focus on evaluating the translation of continuing professional development into practice to improve learner and healthcare consumer outcomes. From 2019-2022, Zoe provided an international perspective to the workgroup established to publish the fourth edition of Nursing Professional Development Scope & Standards of Practice. Zoe was invited to be a peer reviewer for the 6th edition of the Core Curriculum for Nursing Professional Development.