Ergocoach Course Healthcare

In this module you learn the theoretical basis of ergonomic working and coaching. You gain insight into how the body works during daily care tasks and how you can reduce physical workload for yourself and your colleagues.

• How to recognise healthy and straining postures and movements
• How muscles and joints work during straining activities
• Which muscles you can use to protect joints
• What you can do yourself to reduce physical workload
• How to do, experience and assess exercises
• How to recognise common physical complaints and what your role is
• What the range of tasks of an ergocoach includes
• Relevant legislation, regulations and practice guidelines
• How mobility classes A to E work and which standard belongs to which class
• Which exercises contribute to task-related fitness and improving work capacity

In this module the focus is on practice. You learn how to apply your knowledge in the workplace and how, as an ergocoach, you guide colleagues towards healthy and safe working. By practising working techniques, coaching and ergonomic analysis you develop the skills to make a direct difference in your team.

Among other things, you learn to:

• Analyse the working habits, work experience and ergonomic conditions of employees
• Train working techniques, such as transfers, repositioning in bed and working in awkward postures
• Coach, train and advise colleagues on favourable working habits for efficient muscle use, less strain on joints, preventing static load, effective use of aids and effective communication with clients
• Give practical advice and exercises to apply new insights and learn skills
• Select and correctly use aids
• Use the TilThermometer to map how heavy the physical workload on a ward is and how far prevention policy has progressed
• Use the KIM method to assess whether lifting, pushing and pulling stay within the standard
• Discuss findings and report back to the team

In this module you learn how to guide your colleagues effectively towards healthy and safe working by using real coaching skills. Asking questions, probing further and entering into discussion based on what you observe as an ergocoach are far more effective here than convincing with enthusiasm alone. You develop competences that belong to professional leadership and learn how to get colleagues moving without merely “selling” the message.

Besides skills, coaching also places demands on your personality. That is why we pay attention to the behavioural traits an ergocoach must have. Developing personal qualities and fostering personal growth are central to this module. You practise with role plays and practical simulations to further strengthen your coaching skills.

Among other things, you learn:

• How to guide a fellow ergocoach (coach the coach)
• Applying different communication models
• Communicating effectively and purposefully
• Giving constructive feedback
• Dealing with resistance and limiting beliefs among colleagues
• Embedding agreements within your team
• Developing a working method that suits your organisation and team

The course consists of three sessions: one half-day online (optionally on site) and two days on site. Between the sessions you work on a practical assignment, so that you apply what you have learned directly in your own working environment. An e-learning is available via the Ergomotion learning portal for preparation and further study.

• The course is tailor-made, adapted to the type of healthcare institution.
• Evaluation at the end of the course. The results are processed into a report with recommendations.
• We offer various follow-up options to keep knowledge and skills up to date and to expand them.
• We offer consultancy for implementing healthy working as a fixed part of the job.

An ergocoach is the internal expert and point of contact for healthy working within a healthcare team. The ergocoach identifies physical risks, advises colleagues on safe transfer techniques and the correct use of aids, and coaches the team towards lasting behaviour change to prevent sickness absence due to overload.

The course consists of three modules. Theory: recognising straining postures, how muscles and joints work, and relevant legislation and regulations. Practice in the workplace: training in working techniques such as transfers, repositioning in bed and the effective use of hoists and other aids. Coaching and communication: coaching skills to address colleagues in a constructive way and turn resistance to change around.

Lifting, turning and supporting clients every day demands a lot from your body. Perhaps you already notice complaints yourself, or you see colleagues struggling with physical overload. This can lead to absence, less enjoyment at work and higher work pressure for the whole team. The Ergocoach Course Healthcare was developed specifically for healthcare professionals who want to advise and coach colleagues on healthy and safe working. During the course you work with a mix of theory, demonstrations, role plays, discussions, practical simulations, exercises and practical assignments. There is a strong focus on applying practical skills, so that you can make a direct difference in the workplace. You learn how to reduce physical workload, gain practical techniques and insights into lifting and transfer methods, and develop coaching skills to help your team work more safely and healthily. Together you create a safe working environment in which everyone remains sustainably employable.

The course was developed for healthcare professionals (such as nurses and care workers) who want to take a leading role in physical safety. The training is also very valuable for team leaders, prevention officers and HR professionals who want to structurally reduce sickness absence within their organisation.

The course has a practical structure of three sessions: one online half-day (for theory and preparation) and two full training days on site. Between the sessions you work on a practical assignment in your own workplace to apply what you have learned directly.

Yes, the course is accredited by V&VN. After successfully completing the sessions and the practical assignment you receive a recognised certificate of attendance and the accreditation points are credited.

Certainly. From 5 participants, an in-company programme is often more economical and more effective. The trainer then comes to your institution, so that the course can be fully tailored to the specific aids, client groups and working situations of your own team.

Yes. Besides the Ergocoach Course Healthcare we also provide Ergocoach Manual Handling (for industry, logistics and construction, among others), Ergocoach Screen work (for office environments) and Ergocoach Childcare. Each course is fully tailored to the specific physical and mental workload within that sector. Contact us for advice on which variant suits your team best.

We fully believe in the quality of our training courses. If after the course you are not satisfied with the knowledge gained or its applicability in practice, we do not send an invoice.

You get to know the instruments that are the standard in healthcare. The mobility classes A to E determine how much help a client needs and which standard applies. With the TilThermometer you map, per ward or team, how heavy the physical workload is and how far prevention policy has progressed. With the KIM method you assess whether lifting, pushing and pulling stay within the standard. All three tie in with the national Physical Workload Practice Guidelines (Praktijkrichtlijnen Fysieke Belasting), on which the health and safety catalogue (arbocatalogus) for your sector is based.

A work hardening is an individual tailored programme for an employee who needs to build up physical work again after absence or with reduced work capacity.