Training That Sticks: How eMAR Plus Empowers Care Teams from Day One
In the world of social care, where accuracy can be a matter of life and death, it’s no surprise that medication administration policy is under constant scrutiny. Whether you manage a single care home or oversee multiple sites, one thing is certain: training your team to confidently administer medicines is essential for safety, compliance, and resident wellbeing. That’s where eMAR Plus stands out.
Let’s face it, introducing any new technical system into a care environment can feel daunting. But the transition to an electronic MAR (eMAR) system doesn’t have to be a struggle. In fact, with the right training and support, it becomes a powerful upgrade to your medication management in nursing or any care setting. eMAR Plus isn’t just a tool; it’s a comprehensive support system that empowers care teams from the very first login.
A Strong Start: Tailored Training for Every Team
When a new eMAR system is implemented, the quality of training can make or break its success. That’s why eMAR Plus delivers tailored onboarding, not a one-size-fits-all approach.
Take it from Helen Craig, Scheme Manager at Loughview Fold, Radius Housing:
"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. They spent one-to-one time with staff who were having difficulties. We found the training to be entirely invaluable."
This hands-on approach ensures that every user—regardless of digital confidence—is supported through the learning curve. eMAR Plus trainers come on site during initial rollout, walking staff through every feature, answering questions in real time, and staying as long as needed to ensure the whole team is comfortable.
That’s not just convenient—it’s good governance. According to NICE guidelines on medicines management in care homes, ongoing staff training is a key component of a safe and effective medication administration policy. Without it, even the best medication administration software will fall short.
Built for Simplicity: A System That Just Makes Sense
What makes this training stick is that the eMAR Plus platform is designed with care staff in mind. It doesn’t require IT expertise or hours of study. As many managers have noted, the system is intuitive, with a layout that mirrors paper MARs, but without the mess and risk of error.
This simplicity matters. Care staff are busy. During a typical shift, they're expected to handle complex medication rounds, deal with emergencies, communicate with families, and update care notes, often all at once. The last thing they need is clunky medication management software slowing them down.
With eMAR Plus, everything from logging a dose to checking stock levels can be done in a few taps. It supports the "five rights" of safe administration (right patient, drug, dose, time, route), helping staff stay compliant with minimal friction. For agency or temporary workers, it's quick to pick up, making it ideal for homes that rely on flexible staffing.
Graeme Beatty, Housing with Care Manager at Radius Housing, agrees:
"Moving away from paper and onto the eMAR system has been much more secure for staff and residents and provides better accountability for everyone. I find the electronic system much easier than paper."
Ongoing Support: Help When You Need It Most
Training shouldn’t stop once the system is live. At eMAR Plus, it doesn’t. Our team offers responsive support through live chat, phone, and in-system messaging, so help is always just a tap away.
Helen Craig puts it best:
"Training doesn't stop after initial onboarding; any time we have any issues or questions we go through the live chat feature to speak with a member of the team immediately."
This responsiveness matters more than ever in environments where time is critical. Whether it's a quick refresher, a system query, or guidance on a medication update, care teams have the reassurance of knowing someone is always available to help.
It’s an important part of our approach to medication management in nursing and care environments: combining user-friendly technology with human support to empower your team and reduce risk.
Now Live: eMAR Plus E-Learning
To make training even more accessible, eMAR Plus now includes a built-in e-learning platform, giving staff the flexibility to learn at their own pace. From fundamentals like "Administer medication" and "Add service user" to more advanced skills such as "Drug audits" and "Create & check-in monthly orders," courses are short, clear, and trackable, with certificates available at completion.
The e-learning dashboard provides instant insight into which staff have completed training, making it easy for managers to stay on top of competencies and compliance. Whether you're onboarding new team members or giving existing staff a refresher, the system supports your medication administration policy every step of the way.
Safe, Secure, and Scalable: Ideal for All Staff Types
One major challenge for many care homes is training temporary or agency staff. With traditional paper MARs, this often meant rushed explanations and risky misunderstandings. eMAR Plus changes that.
Each staff member gets a secure login with permissions tailored to their role. Agency staff can be granted limited access, enough to administer meds safely, but not to edit sensitive records. This improves data security and ensures compliance with your medication administration policy.
Liz Blair, Senior Care Home Manager at Viewpark, Abercorn Care Ltd, shared:
"The eMAR system has streamlined our medication management, ensuring our residents receive their medications accurately and on time. This technology has allowed us to ease the workload of our staff, and for us to have a more person-centred approach to medication administration."
With strong role-based access and easy onboarding, eMAR Plus ensures that even short-term staff can contribute safely and effectively, a vital asset in today’s often unpredictable staffing climate.
Building Confidence Through Accountability
At the heart of any care plan for medication management is accountability. Who gave which medication? When? Was it signed off correctly? With paper records, tracking this can be slow, incomplete, or even lost.
eMAR Plus captures every action digitally. Each dose is logged with a timestamp and staff ID, creating a full audit trail that inspectors and managers can review instantly. This not only supports CQC and NICE requirements but builds trust within your team.
Siobhan Brammeld, Residential Manager at Massereene Manor (Hutchinson Care Homes), described how this impacts daily care:
"The eMAR system creates a clear audit trail for every action, which not only helps us maintain high standards of care but also simplifies compliance with regulatory requirements. Our team has complete confidence in the system's ability to track and document all medication-related activities."
That confidence is critical. It means your staff can focus less on paperwork and more on what matters: caring for residents.
Real-Time Oversight for Managers
Managing medications in care homes just got simpler, safer, and more transparent. eMAR Plus gives care managers instant oversight on:
Medication rounds completed & pending
Real-time information on missed or late doses
Clear audit trails for compliance and accountability
Stock levels to prevent medication shortages
The truth is, medication errors can have serious consequences, but with eMAR Plus, your team stays one step ahead. Care staff save time with faster documentation, focus more on residents, and confidently deliver the right medicine at the right time, every time.
Training That Pays Off Long-Term
While there is an upfront investment in training, the long-term return is clear. Faster medication rounds. Fewer errors. Better staff retention. Smoother audits. More time with residents. These are the true benefits of investing in the right medication management software.
A recent independent study at Antrim Care Home showed that eMAR Plus reduced medication administration times by over 57%. That’s time given back to care.
More than software, eMAR Plus is a system of support, a smart, scalable solution built to align with every aspect of your medication administration policy.
Technology That Empowers, Not Replaces
Technology in healthcare should never feel like a burden. When done right, it empowers. That’s the philosophy behind eMAR Plus. From the moment your team begins training, they’re supported, respected, and equipped for success.
Whether you're refining a care plan for medication management, improving compliance ahead of a CQC visit, or simply trying to make your medication rounds safer and quicker, eMAR Plus is ready to help.
Explore how we can support your team today: www.emarplus.com
For national standards, refer to the NICE guidance on managing medicines in care homes.
