“When I saw the participation rate, which was way above 90 per cent of our care staff who took the training, I thought, okay, there is something here,” says Loren Tisdelle, human resources director at Louis Brier Home and Hospital. “That kind of participation is rare with regular in-person sessions.” 

That moment signalled that a new way of learning was taking hold.  

For years, training in long-term care relied on classroom sessions. Staff schedules had to be coordinated, shifts backfilled, and instructors booked, all while keeping the units running. The model costs time and money and left staff frustrated and disconnected from the lessons. Loren knew this approach didn’t match the pace and complexity of life on the units.  

Through our partnership with OntheJob, their violence prevention training brought something new to Louis Brier. It allowed staff to access it in moments that suited their workflow, following them onto the units and into real situations so lessons became practical, immediately applicable skills. As staff engaged with the pilot, Loren noticed conversations among team members shift and questions start to be asked. Staff would work through scenarios together and reflect on what they might do differently. 

Data from the pilot reinforced what Loren observed on the floor. Staff recognized unsafe practices but often had no better options — caught between entrenched habits, time pressure, and system constraints that made safer choices harder to choose. The pilot allowed leaders to see these patterns without pointing fingers, showing that safety issues often stemmed from processes and culture, not individual carelessness.  

Loren describes the benefits of on-the-job learning as immediate and practical. Staff can fit training into brief moments throughout the day, building skills incrementally. The platform scales easily, requires minimal resources, and removes barriers that previously limited participation. Modules can cover workplace violence, manual handling, respectful workplace training, and more. Each session offers for discussion that spark important team collaboration.  

With real data from daily practice, managers better understand employee perceptions, behaviours, and the pressures shaping their work. This allowed for a shift from focusing on individual mistakes to improving systems and processes that support safe, effective care. 

Louis Brier has a long history of striving for continuous improvement. This pilot fit naturally into the organization’s strategic objectives and commitment to best practices in health, safety, and care.  

“The success of on-the-job learning is measured in staff confidence.” 

Loren wants learning to flow through every shift, conversation, and moment on the floor, so that it touches every aspect of this incredibly important work. Staff will continue building their skills through short, accessible bursts of training. Leaders will continue to use data to guide improvements. At its core, the goal is training that strengthens how care is delivered every day.  

This on-the-job pilot matters because it proves that learning must meet people where they are. Training succeeds only when it fits into the individual, while reflecting their daily life and challenges. When training meets the reality of the work, it stops being theory and starts being courage, skill, and care in motion.  Learn how your organization can bring on-the-job learning to your team. Contact SafeCare BC to explore next steps.