The BGS Scheduler comes with the Education Portal.  The portal allows users to know their minimum job requirements, maintain their skill currencies, upload copies of cards, and run reports on their continuing education when it’s time for re-certification.

 

The Education Portal is broken down into several sections that work together:

  • Con-Ed – Con-Ed is online education.  Users can review the continuing education while on shift.  Documents can be uploaded to the con-ed including powerpoints, excels, pdfs, etc.  Quizzes can also be added to each con-ed.  Users will receive a certificate once all documents have been opened and all quizzes have been passed.
  • Licenses & Advanced Certifications  – ie EMT-P cards, CFRN certification.  License and Advanced Certifications are created by the user and may require the user to upload documentation as proof.
  • Classes – Students in a class with an instructor.  Con-Ed can be recorded for classes and cards uploaded.  Students can sign up for classes and review class details, and download resources needed for the class.  Once the class instuctor completes the class, the instructor or student can upload documentation (ie cards) as proof.
  • Skills  – Any requirement that is not a class & not a License/Adv Cert can be considered a Skill.  Ie PPD, Fit Test, manakin intubation, LP15 competancy.  Skills are entered by the user at any time.  Skills can be marked as “Requires Verification“.  An example might be a skill called “Live Intubation” where the educator could review the chart.
  • Other Education – Allow users to record education from outside providers but does not count to requirements.  Other education is only for user’s documentation of hours for re-certification purposes.
  • Resources – Policies, protocols, job descriptions etc can be uploaded and be readily available to users.  Resources do include when each user has viewed the resource but can not be required.
  • Education Documents – Quickly retrieve con-ed certificates, class cards and other documents.  Allows users to see their Con-Ed certificates, Licenses / Advanced Certifications, and Class documents.  Also useful to see which items are missing documentation.
  • Verify Items – Education Administrators are able to verify items such as Licenses / Advanced Certifications, Classes, and Skills (marked a Requiring Verification).  This allows educators to know the status of the staff and correct any errors entered.

 

Configuration:

To get started using the Education portal, let’s configure a few items.

Once you have “Sysop” or “Education Admin” permissions, click on “Features” -> “System Configuration”

  • Con Ed Certificate Setup – Enter the message that should appear on Every Con-Ed certificate that the online Con-Ed section will issue once user completes a quiz.  This will typically be your Education Institution message.  Your service title will automatically be included on each certificate already.
  • Class Types – Create and edit each Class Type in the portal.  You can create an “ACLS” class type and set the number of years that “ACLS” class is valid for.  You can also configure how may days in advance to turn the user’s profile “Yellow” color, indicating the user needs to obtain a new class.
  • Con-Ed Hours Types  – Each class (and Other Education) can issue continuing education hours to users once completed.  Con-Ed hours can be assigned to each class so that when users run their education reports, all con-ed hours are already in their profile.
  • Licenses / Advanced Certifications – Create and edit each License / Advanced certification for the portal.  You also set the number of years each License / Advanced certification is valid for and if the user is Required to upload a copy of the License / Advanced certification.  You can require that users upload a copy of the card when creating the license also.
  • Resource Types – Resources can be uploaded into the portal.  This will configure the categories that are available.  Ie “Policies”, “Job Descriptions”, “Equipment Documentation”.
  • Skill Types – Skills are any currency that you want to track that is not a “Class”, “License / Advanced Certification”, or “Con-Ed”.  Ie “Static Intubation”, “LP15 checkoff”, “PPD”, “TB Fit Test”, etc.  Skills are entered by the user.  Unlike Licenses/Adv Certifications and Classes, Skills have a quantity and a time frame (ie 3 Every 90 days).
  • User Roles – User roles hold the requirements that are needed for each user.  Requirements for each user role can include Licenses/Advanced Certifications, Classes and Skills.  Users can have multiple user roles (ie Paramedic and Orientation). This allows you to set one set of requirements for all users that “Paramedics” and additional requirements above and beyond for the “Orientation”. Once the user completes orientation, you can remove this user role from the users profile. Another usage could be for “Crew Chiefs”. You only need to create different user roles if the requirements are different for one group to the next.  By editing the user role, you can require that users have one or more Licenses / Advanced certifications, Classes and/or Skills. The users’ profile will be assigned a Green, Yellow, or Red color depending on it each of requirements is met. ie: User Role “Paramedic” must have EMT-P license, ACLS class, BLS class and PPD skill.

 

To begin using the Education portal, you should configure the following items in order:

  1. Add Licenses / Advanced Certifications – Any License or Advanced Certification that users are required to have to work in your service (ie EMT-B, EMT-P, RN).
  2. Add Class Types – Every class that your service requires one or more users to have. This is typically the cookie cutter ACLS, BLS, PALS, etc. You can also include additional classes that users might have in order to have a comprehensive listing of users’ classes.
  3. Add Skill Types -Skills are both actual skills (ie Manakin Intubation) and also the miscellaneous category. This is also a good place to put other requirements such as a PPD test, hearing test, TB mask check, LP15 simulation.
  4. Add Requirements – Add the requirements for each User Role.
  5. Assign Users To Each User Role – Edit each user in your service and assign each user one or more User Roles by editing each user’s profile.

 

User Role Requirements (Advanced) / Grouping Statements:

User roles typically would include all requirements but your service may have several classes that meet the requirement.  The education portal calls this a “Grouping Statement“.  (ie Users must have a trauma course.  This could be either ITLS, or BTLS, or TNCC).  The user needs one of these but not all.  Each requirement will be aliased with a $ and a letter (ie $A or $B).  You are able to make the Requirements using the class alias (ie $A) and the words “AND” and “OR” and parenthesis.

To Create A Grouping Statement:

  1. Click “Features” -> “System Configuration“.
  2. Click “User Roles“.
  3. Select the user role you want to edit.
  4. Add at least two Class Requirements (ie ITLS and BTLS).  If the options you want have not been added, add these through System Configuration -> Class Types.
  5. Click “Advanced – Create Grouping“.
  6. Each class will have a “$” and a Letter assigned.  The first class added is “$A”, second is “$B”.
  7. Click “Auto Generate Grouping” to create the Grouping Statement of “$A AND $B”.  If you have added multiple classes, you will see additional items.
  8. Modify the Grouping Statement to “($A OR $B)”.  This will require the user have EITHER $A class or $B class.  You can extend the statement to any variety of choices.  See examples below.
  9. Click “Update Requirement Grouping” to save changes.

($A AND $B) OR $C       Users must have both $A AND $B  or the users can have only $C.
(($A OR $B OR $C) And $D) OR $E    Users must have $A or $B or $B AND also $D.  If users have $E then this will also pass.
($A AND $B) OR ($C AND $D) OR $E  Users must have either ($A AND $B) or ($C AND $D) Or Just $E.

NOTE:  You must only use the aliases provided and the words “AND” and “OR”.  Do not put any additional information or letters.  Modify the examples listed very carefully. If the scheduler generates an error, let BGS know to correct.

 

Con-Ed:

Continuing Education can be added to the Education portal.  This resource allows you up to upload documents, provide quizzes to users, and generate a certificate of completion.

To create a new Con-Ed:

  1. Click on “Education Admin” -> “Create New Con-Ed“.
  2. Fill out the Education Title, Description, and Optional Certificate Message.
  3. If the Con-Ed will be open to users for a specific date range, (ie monthly coned or a specific set of dates) leave Supplemental Education Un-Checked.  Clicking Supplemental Education will allow the con-ed to be viewed forever.
  4. Enter the Date Education Opens & Closes (if not Supplemental Education).
  5. If the Education is specific to one or more User Roles (ie Paramedics Only, or Orientation Only), click “Select User Roles” to enable only the selected user roles to view the education.
  6. Click “Create Education“.
  7. The page will save and open additional details.
  8. To Con-Ed details or Assign Continuing Education hours to the Con-Ed, click “Edit Continuing Education“.
  9. If a specific user is creating the con-ed, they can be assigned as a “Contributor” by clicking “Edit Contributors” button.  This will show the user as a resource for any questions on the content and also show in the user’s Education Report as an event they taught.
  10. Next, click “Upload File” or “Add Website Link“.
  11. You can attach files up to 20 megabytes to each Con-Ed.  If the attachment is > 20 mb, you will need to create two files.
  12. Once a file is uploaded the file is rename to prevent conflicts.  You can rename the file if desired by clicking the edit icon next to the file.  You can also delete a file by clicking the delete icon next to the file.
  13. To Create a quiz, click “Create A New Quiz“.
  14. The Quiz details will load and click “Edit Quiz Demographics” to edit the quiz title, set the number of attempts allowed, and assign the amount of time a user has for completion.
  15. Enter each question and be sure to select the “# Of Choices” and also mark the correct “Selected Answer“.
  16. As you complete each question, click “Add Question” to save and move to the next question.
  17. Each quiz will automatically randomize the questions and randomize the choices.
  18. Once all questions have been created, click “Return To _____ Con Ed” in the top left.

When a user has viewed all files, and passed all quizzes, they will be able to generate a certificate of completion.  Once a certificate has been generated for the user, the certificate will be always available in the user’s Education Document tree or by re-generating the certificate in the Con Ed page.

If a user fails all of their quiz attempts, you are able to reset their attempts by clicking the trash can icon next to the name in the Quiz Attempts section.

 

Licenses / Advanced Certifications:

Licenses and Advanced Certifications are entered by each user.  The License Types setup allows you to require specific type require the user to upload a copy of their license.  Admin can also create Licenses and Advanced Certification by locating the user’s profile and creating a new License / Advanced Certification user’s profile tab.  Users can not create License types so try to create as many types as needed for your service in the “System Configuration” -> “License / Advanced Certification” types.

 

Classes:

Classes are scheduled education with an instructor.  To create a new class, first ensure you have created the class type in the “System Configuration” -> “Class Types” section.

  1. Click “Education Admin” -> “Create New Class“.
  2. Select the Class Type, Class Start Date, Class Times, and Class Location.
  3. Click “Create Class“.
  4. The class instance will be created and you can now enter the Class Maximum Participants, Allow Users to Self Sign Up and Class Notes.  Self sign up all allow users to sign up for the class.  Most of the time, this will be yes.  However, if the instructor is checking users off when the user is on shift, this may be a time that you do not want users to sign up, but rather have the instructor just add the users once it is completed.
  5. The Class Notes section can be a good reminder about being on time for the class and/or “…the pre-test is required prior to attending…” etc.
  6. Click “Update Class“.
  7. If any files or website links are needed, those can be added from the “Class Files & Links” section.  A good example is a copy of a pre-test.
  8. Assign Instructors to the class by clicking “Assign Instructors“.  This will give the instructor credit in their education report for teaching the class and also allows students to contact the instructor should any issues occur prior to the class.
  9. If you want to assign students to the class, click “Assign Additional Users” link.  If the class is Self-Signup, then users are allowed to sign up on their own from the Education -> Find A Class menu.
  10. When a user signs up or cancels from a class, the time and date is recorded.  Also, if an Admin user signs up a user or cancels a user, this time is also recorded.
  11. A Roster can be printed just prior to teaching the class with the names of all users signed up.
  12. Once the class date has occurred, the button to “Complete Class” will activate.  The class instructor must complete the class to give users credit that both attended and passed the class.
  13. Once the class has been completed, the instructors or the user can upload their cards into the class.  The class will always remain available for users to scan the cards in.  

 

Other Education Components:

The education portal has several other features that may be useful to you

  • Resources  – Resources allows you to upload files for general viewing.  (ie Protocols or Course Information flyers)
  • Other Education – Users are able to document education they obtain outside of you agency.  These do not count towards their User Requirements.
  • Education Document Tree – Quick access to a user’s uploaded copies of Licenses / Advanced Certifications, Classes and certificates generated.
  • Request Class Reciprocity – If a user takes a Class that your service requires, the user can upload a copy of their card in this section.  Once the item is approved, this will create a class for the user in the education portal and the user will now have credit towards their requirements.
  • Back Load Classes – Administrative staff can use the Back Load Classes feature to quickly create classes for one or more users.  This is used only to import existing user classes.

 

See Also:

Education Portal – Users’ Guide

 

 

Education Portal – Supervisor’s Guide & Setup Instructions
Tagged on: