Moody dental squadron uses training, teamwork to enhance patient flow

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Sarah Johnson
  • 23rd Wing Public Affairs
MOODY AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. --  To enhance patient flow, the Moody dental clinic recently held an intravenous therapy certification course, allowing nearly all of the dental technicians here to start an IV on patients.

Before the course, only a handful of technicians could start an IV, said Master Sgt Katherine Mathew, 23rd Aerospace-Dental Squadron NCO-in-charge of dental services.

IV certification is something the clinic has been interested in for a while, said Sergeant Mathew. However, the limited funds prevented the clinic from sending the dental techs to obtain their IV qualification at a course in Jacksonville, Fla. So the dental clinic devised a way for an in-house course enabling certification.

"We had to look and see what resources we had to make this happen because you just can't throw a course together; it takes a lot of effort and research," said Maj. Sinetta Blunt, 23rd Medical Group chief of education and training. "The training program was set up and devised within our group. We just pulled from resources across the Air Force and made the program come together."

The primary instructor was Lt. Col. Pamela Lagrange, a reservist with the 23rd MDG Medical Services Flight and an experienced IV instructor, since she was available at no extra cost the dental clinic, Colonel Lagrange and the MDG only had to arrange their schedules to fit the class in during one of her tours here.

The projected cost was about $1,200 per person to attend the course in Jacksonville, Fla., to receive the same training conduced via the in-house certification saved Moody more than $21,000, Sergeant Mathew said.

The two-hour course, which consisted of worksheets, videos, a lecture and test, also provided time for the technicians to practice injecting IVs on mannequin arms ranging in skin tone and vein location difficulty, Sergeant Mathew said. This provided the technicians with a wide range of preparation for venous puncturing people in the wrist, hand or mid-arm.

The training doesn't stop there, said Sergeant Mathew. The dental technicians will continue learning through on-the-job training. Before they are completely certified and able to work independently, they must successfully venous puncture three patients, while being supervised by those who are already IV certified.

Once the technicians have completed all the requirements to earn their IV certification, their progress will be documented in their training folder, Sergeant Mathew said. Although this program is unique to Moody, the technicians will keep their certification as they move to their next assignment.

In addition, clinic nurses and doctors can coordinate the training as necessary for new technicians who come to the clinic.

"We just had to get a start on how we wanted to devise the program and make it an effective program to meet the need," Major Blunt said. "Now we can function independently."

The program will not only ease patient flow, but the certification also gives the technicians an added tool for their dental toolbox, she said.

"It gives the technicians more diverse training," Major Blunt said. "They have more experience, so every one of the technicians that come here will have more training and skills; those are the requirements and the standards we're setting."

The new program also makes the dentists' job easier, said Sergeant Mathew.

"It speeds up the process for the provider," she said. "You want to spend all the time you have for the patient, on the patient. The doctor can be more focused on being a provider."
The certification course couldn't have happened without a total team effort, Sergeant Mathew said.

"We are very grateful for the nursing staff and education center, which helped us make this happen and I really think is a boost to the morale of our technicians," said Sergeant Mathew.