Take one team, add some training, and mix in a little fun. It's a recipe for success!
Imagine spaghetti without the oregano. Or chicken soup without the chicken stock. Can anyone spell bland? You have the same problem if you try to serve up continuing education without a dash of fun. If you're missing this critical ingredient, use these recipes to add a little flavor to your CE.
INGREDIENTS
PREP TIME
10 to 15 minutes
DIRECTIONS
Select a few images you'd like your team to identify. Keep in mind you could use standard photos, radiographs, or microscopic images. Number the items and hang them on a bulletin board in the break room. Provide answer sheets and ask everyone in the practice to guess what's in each image.
Update your CE menus, Offer the right utensils
SERVING SUGGESTION
To cut your prep time, search medical journals for images you could use. Provide an incentive by entering the submissions with the most correct answers in a drawing for a small prize.
INGREDIENTS
PREP TIME
One to three hours, depending on the number of rounds you'll play and the difficulty of the questions you prepare
DIRECTIONS
Think Family Feud. The host will compile a list of questions with multiple correct answers. For example, what are five signs of poor nutrition? When it's time to play the game, divide your participants into two teams. If the group is larger, ask team members to nominate two teams with five or six players each.
Dish up some experts
Toss a coin to determine which team starts first. Ask each player to name one answer to the question. When a player gives a wrong answer, play moves to the other team. Each round takes about 10 minutes and requires about five questions.
SERVING SUGGESTION
Recruit the entire team to create the questions. For example, next time a drug representative gives a presentation, pass out note cards at the end and ask everyone to write two or three questions based on what they learned. It's a great way to review the information you learned and it saves prep time.
INGREDIENTS
PREP TIME
One to three hours, depending on the number of rounds you'll play and difficulty of the questions you prepare
DIRECTIONS
You guessed it. It's just like the TV game show. Attach note cards with the right answer on one side and point values on the other to a bulletin board. Write the corresponding clues on separate cards for the host. For a standard game, plan six categories with five questions per category. For a shorter game, halve the ingredients.
Meet our CE chefs
Remember, you'll want easy and hard questions for each category with graduated point values. Try using different color cards for each category to make the answers easier to organize. Have a little fun naming the categories. For example, a category on fecal exams might be called, "The Scoop on Poop."
To play, toss a coin to determine which contestant starts. The contestant will pick a category and a point value. For example, "I'll take Potent Potables for $100, Alex." Your host reads the clue and the contestant who rings in first must provide the answer. Use bells or a volunteer spotter to identify who rings in first to answer the question. The contestant with the highest score at the end of the game wins.
INGREDIENTS
PREP TIME
10 to 15 minutes to gather the words and double-check the correct spellings
DIRECTIONS
This calorie-free treat is a great tool to help you digest such commonly misspelled words as diarrhea, fluorescein stain, Borrelia burgdorferi, and hemorrhagic gastroenteritis.
The host collects at least 10 words, including their parts of speech and their definitions. The contestant must correctly spell the word. If the contestant can't spell the word correctly, her opponent gets a chance to tackle it.
SERVING SUGGESTION
Distribute copies of the answer key after the meeting so team members can review any words they missed.
SERVING SUGGESTION
Remember, the key to jeopardy is that the answer is phrased as a question. For example, if the clue was, "This external parasite may transmit the bacterium that causes Lyme disease" the answer would be, "What is a tick?"
To sweeten the deal, our CE chefs recommend creating a small prize budget. Keep an eye out for inexpensive items you can add to your prize collection. Even a small token, such as a $5 gift card to the local coffee shop, adds an incentive and creates a sense of anticipation about the game.
Ready to whip up your own batch of CE? Choose the right recipe for your practice team and enlist co-workers to help with the prep work. And don't forget the most important ingredient: fun!
Heather Kirkwood is a freelance writer in Overland Park, Kan. Please send comments to firstline@advanstar.com
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