AHCA/NCAL Launches Trust-Building Course to Boost Vaccine Uptake, Patient Safety, and Staff Well-Being

The goal? To combat a 'growing distrust with all aspects of healthcare that has affected our interactions with one another,' association CMO says.

Lack of trust between leaders and staff in long-term care facilities is detrimental to vaccination uptake, patient safety, quality of care, and staff well-being, says the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL), which has launched a new education program to help rectify that.

The free, four-part virtual program, Building Trust: A Strategy to Improve Patient Safety, Staff Well-Being and Vaccine Uptake in Long-Term Care, is based on the science of trust building and provides tools and resources to help leaders build trust with staff.    

The course is designed for formal and informal leaders within long-term care in both clinical and nonclinical roles, such as administrators, directors of nursing, medical directors, senior leaders, and department heads, as well as infection preventionists, quality improvement coordinators, and influential staff, according to AHCA/NCAL.

The course, funded by a grant from the U.S. Centers for Disease Prevention and Control, includes four lessons:

1. Introduction to the Three Drivers of Trust for COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake
2. The First Driver of Trust: Empathy
3. The Second Driver of Trust: Logic
4. The Third Driver of Trust: Authenticity

After completing the course, nursing home leaders will be able to, among other things, assess the presence of trust in their facility, listen for understanding in conversations with staff, address misinformation, and connect to people’s shared values to motivate commitment to vaccinations, says AHCA/NCAL.  

“The pace of change and uncertainty that facilities have faced since the beginning of the pandemic, including an unprecedented workforce crisis, has been overwhelming, resulting in a growing distrust with all aspects of healthcare that has affected our interactions with one another,” said David Gifford, MD, chief medical officer at AHCA/NCAL, and board-certified gerontologist.

“What is exciting about our new course is that it really addresses this issue of trust,” he said. “Trust building creates this essential foundation for facilities and their teams to adapt and thrive in times of continuous change, which ultimately leads to a stronger operation that allows for further improvements in care and outcomes.”