How Training and Ongoing Support Make Digital Adoption Work in Care Homes
Switching from paper MAR charts to a digital eMAR system is one of the most impactful changes a care home can make. But it isn’t just an IT project. It’s a clinical upgrade that touches every medication round, every handover, and every audit. Done well, it strengthens resident safety, speeds up documentation, and makes inspection evidence easier to produce.
At eMAR Plus, we’ve learnt that success comes from pairing intuitive medication administration software with purposeful training and ongoing support. When people feel prepared and backed up, digital becomes the simplest, safest way to work. That’s why we weave training into your medication administration policy and your care plan for medication management from day one - aligning roles, workflows, and reporting so practice matches policy.
This article sets out a practical, evidence‑led approach to digital adoption in care homes. We’ll use real feedback from managers like Helen Craig at Loughview Fold to show how the right training reduces errors and builds confidence. And we’ll share a blueprint you can fit into your setting whether you’re adopting an eMAR system for the first time or refreshing your existing medication management software.
Why Training Matters More Than Features
Great features aren’t enough on their own. Safe digital medication practice depends on people feeling prepared, supported, and confident. That’s why eMAR Plus puts training and support at the centre of every rollout.
Helen Craig, Scheme Manager at Loughview Fold (Radius Housing), put it plainly: “Training was absolutely fantastic, the team took us through everything step by step and tailored the training to the needs of our residents and staff… We found the training to be entirely invaluable.” She also noted that the team spent one‑to‑one time with staff who needed extra help and that support continued after go‑live via live chat for immediate help.
What this means for you: a training plan isn’t a nice‑to‑have; it’s part of your medication administration policy. When staff know exactly how to record doses, respond to alerts, and retrieve reports, they’re more likely to follow your policy consistently which is what inspectors expect under NICE guidance on medicines in care homes, the CQC’s focus on safe care and treatment (Regulation 12), , and RQIA regulatory standards in Northern Ireland.
How Training Reduces Errors in Everyday Practice
Medication errors are most likely when processes are complex, staff are rushed, or documentation is unclear. Structured training reduces these risks by:
Standardising the “five rights” in a digital workflow. Staff practise recording the right resident, right medicine, right dose, right route, and right time within the eMAR system so it becomes a habit.
Replacing handwriting and transcribing with guided, legible entries. Clear on‑screen prompts and standardised options help avoid misread entries and missing signatures - common paper pitfalls.
Rehearsing exception handling. Staff learn how to record refusals, omissions, PRN follow‑ups, late doses, and controlled drug checks correctly the first time.
Building confidence with audit and reporting. Carers and managers practise retrieving time‑stamped records and exception reports so they can evidence compliance quickly during audits or inspections.
In short, training is the safest way and also the easiest way. And when medication management in nursing is supported by straightforward digital steps, adherence to policy improves across shifts, including for agency staff.
A Practical Training Blueprint for Care Homes
Below is a tried‑and‑tested structure you can adapt to your setting. It maps neatly to a nursing care plan for medication management and your medication administration policy.
1) Pre‑go‑live preparation (policy alignment)
Map your existing medication administration policy to the eMAR Plus workflow: ordering, booking‑in, storage, administration, PRNs, refusals, covert administration (where lawful), and incident reporting.
Identify roles and permissions in the eMAR system: who can administer, countersign, edit stock, or run reports.
Prepare training accounts and test residents so staff can practise safely.
2) Core skills workshops (hands‑on)
Short, role‑based sessions for nurses, senior carers, and administrators.
Practical walk‑throughs of a full round: checking due meds, scanning/confirming doses, documenting outcomes, and managing alerts.
Recording specials: controlled drugs, variable doses, time‑critical medicines, and PRN follow‑ups.
Stock control and reordering: booking‑in deliveries, adjusting counts, and monitoring low‑stock alerts.
3) Competency checks
Scenario‑based assessments aligned to your policy and to NICE SC1 expectations for staff competence.
Double‑checking high‑risk tasks (e.g., insulin, anticoagulants) and documenting second sign‑off where required.
4) Supported go‑live
eMAR Plus trainers available onsite during first rounds to observe, coach, and remove hurdles in the moment exactly the approach Radius Housing valued.
Close the loop: capture early questions and fold answers into quick‑reference guides for your home.
5) Ongoing support and refreshers
Rapid‑response live chat and phone support so staff can get help immediately during a round.
Targeted refreshers for new starts and agency staff; micro‑learning modules for PRN recording, controlled drug balances, and audit retrieval.
Quarterly policy‑to‑practice reviews: check that digital workflows still match your medication administration policy and update staff where needed.
What Good Looks like on Day 1 and Day 100
Day one success is simple: staff complete rounds digitally, know where to get help, and can show a manager or inspector how to retrieve a resident’s MAR. Day 100 success is deeper: teams trust the system, use built‑in checks as routine, and managers rely on dashboards and reports to run proactive audits.
Care homes using eMAR Plus consistently highlight the benefits:
Confidence for agency staff. Temporary workers can be issued their own login with role‑based access, which protects data and maintains accountability while making it easy to contribute safely.
Clear audit trails. Every administration is time‑stamped and attributable, supporting internal governance and external inspections.
Fewer missed doses. Real‑time prompts make it harder to overlook a medicine, even on busy shifts.
Faster rounds and less paperwork. Digital documentation reduces transcription and filing, freeing time for resident care.
As Graeme Beatty, Housing with Care Manager at Radius Housing, told us, moving away from paper to eMAR "has been much more secure for staff and residents and provides better accountability for everyone" and, crucially, "we can simply log in, choose what date range we want and look back at any records easily." Likewise, Drew Ennett‑Saunders, Training Educator at Lilian Faithfull Care, highlighted how personalised logins enhance accountability and make auditing easier, with rapid support from the PillPacPlus/eMAR Plus teams giving staff the confidence to lean into the new way of working.
Embedding Compliance: Turning Policy into Practice
A robust eMAR system supports compliance by design but training is what translates policy into daily action. Align training content to these high‑value areas so your team can demonstrate compliance on demand:
Record‑keeping: How to document every dose, refusal, or omission; how to add administration notes; and how to correct errors transparently.
Stock governance: Recording deliveries, managing returns, maintaining running balances (particularly for controlled drugs), and printing audit reports.
Incident response: How to capture near‑misses and errors and escalate quickly, including extracting the relevant audit trail.
Data protection: Using unique logins, respecting role permissions, and locking screens when unattended.
Inspection readiness: Running period reports, exporting MARs, and showing the full audit chain to inspectors.
These areas map to the outcomes regulators look for. Training your team to demonstrate them calmly and consistently is one of the most effective ways to de‑risk inspections.
PillPacPlus: Where it Naturally Supports your Workflow
When your home is supplied by PillPacPlus, eMAR Plus adds another layer of clarity. Pouch‑based, barcoded medications align with on‑screen records, supporting positive identification at the point of administration. For many teams, this simplifies booking‑in and verification steps and reduces manual checks. The net effect is fewer transcription points and a smoother pathway from dispensing to administration, all recorded within the eMAR system.
Bringing Agency Staff into the Fold
Agency colleagues are vital to safe staffing but they can’t help if they’re locked out of systems or unsure what to do. Your training plan should:
Provide rapid orientation: a 15‑minute essentials guide focused on logging in, finding residents, recording a dose, and accessing help.
Ensure role‑based access: limited permissions appropriate to agency roles, maintaining accountability without exposing admin functions.
Offer on‑shift coaching: pair new agency staff with a confident eMAR user for the first round where possible.
This approach which eMAR Plus supports with straightforward logins and intuitive workflows lets agency staff contribute safely from their first shift, without compromising governance.
Making it Stick: Culture, Not Just Compliance
Digital adoption can’t rely on one training day. Make it part of everyday culture:
Open‑door support. Encourage staff to ask questions early. Quick answers reduce workarounds.
Learning loops. Use monthly report reviews to spot patterns (e.g., repeated PRN omissions) and add micro‑training where needed.
Recognition. Call out great practice in handovers and team meetings. Confidence spreads.
When teams understand that eMAR Plus isn’t another task but the simplest way to deliver safe, person‑centred care, adoption accelerates and stays resilient even when staffing is stretched.
People First, Then Technology
Medication management in nursing is, at heart, human work. Technology should support it, simplify it, and make it safer. With eMAR Plus, the combination of practical training, on‑hand support, and a user‑friendly eMAR system helps teams reduce errors, speed up documentation, and feel confident in front of inspectors and families alike.
As Helen Craig summed up, training tailored to residents and staff, backed by immediate access to help, is “entirely invaluable.” That’s the difference between software installed and software adopted.
If you’re reviewing your medication administration policy or building a nursing care plan for medication management, we’re here to help from planning and training to go‑live and beyond.
See how eMAR Plus supports safer, simpler medication rounds. Get in touch for a friendly walkthrough and a tailored training plan for your home.
