I've been handed quite a responsibility after my boss passed away recently—I've taken over his title, pay, and duties. Now, I've got management's approval to train four part-time employees from different areas of my hospital (Lab Techs, Rad Techs, Scrub Techs) who have some computer skills but no formal IT training. While I've started to outline a training program covering IT basics, Networking, and the tools we use, I'm curious to hear from others: what should I focus on teaching these eager learners who don't have much IT knowledge?
5 Answers
Remind them that it's okay to make mistakes within limits. Learning from errors is part of the process, just manage expectations on how serious those mistakes can be.
If you can, set up a lab environment where they can safely experiment—building PCs, creating networks, etc.—to learn through doing. It's a practical way to grasp concepts and make mistakes without real-world consequences.
I think it’s a bit odd that they provided you with random staff instead of hiring a couple of trained helpdesk workers. It might make things more difficult.
It's essential to encourage them to acknowledge that it's okay not to know everything and that asking for help is part of learning. Creating a supportive atmosphere will help them feel more comfortable.
If you have a ticketing system, use it to understand the common issues they’ll face and train them on how to resolve these specific problems. It’ll be more beneficial than generic training.
Exactly! Otherwise, they might be too afraid to ask questions and end up making mistakes.