Revealing Meaning in Training: San Diego Eye Bank Training Program Case Study

We are used to talking about meaning or purpose in the context of employee retention and engagement. San Diego Eye Bank is a place where donor families, as they make the difficult decision to donate the eyes of their deceased loved ones, become part of a truly impactful mission. In this organization, meaning is intentionally embedded into training, strengthening the connection between each employee’s work and the organization’s mission.

About the organization

San Diego Eye Bank is a nonprofit organization founded in 1975. Its mission is to restore vision and reduce blindness. The training program presented in this case was developed as the organization scaled its operations across the United States, increasing its speed, quality, and systemic training solutions. The training was designed to serve both U.S.-based teams and global operating teams.

The “how” alone is not enough

One of the strongest focuses of this training program is the conscious decision to direct attention not only to actions but also to their logic: why we do them. According to Jones, who reviewed and corrected the organization’s many training sequences, this included not only technical steps but also the “softer” aspects, such as relying on surgical outcomes, integrity and respect, and sensitive communication with families. When learners understand “why,” lessons have an even greater impact.

The aim of the training is not only to teach procedures, but also why they are performed. This empowers learners to make better decisions. It becomes an important anchor of the training program, helping to develop deeper decision-making and a stronger understanding of the organization and its mission.

Training as another way to remind people of meaning

In many regions, transplantation waiting lists include around 12 million people, while even in well-organized eye banks, the supply of donor tissue is usually not enough to meet the needs of all waiting recipients. This is why San Diego’s donor regions are growing rapidly. For comparison, there are around 85 percent of donor corneas in the USA worldwide.

Why is this important in training? Because the goal of the San Diego Eye Bank is to teach employees not only “how to do the job,” but also how their work changes the lives of thousands of people globally. In other words, the training aims to connect each role in the daily workflow — technician, coordinator, family services specialist — with the organization’s mission of serving sight.

Blended learning model: e-learning as preparation for practice

The training program is delivered through blended learning channels. This approach begins with self-paced e-learning modules and is reinforced through physical, hands-on learning and practice. The program combines practical sessions with self-paced training that includes core concepts, memory reinforcement, and practical learning through simulations. E-learning covers the technical aspects such as transport, embalming, and donor profiling, but it also includes "human" aspects, such as how to support families with care and clarity throughout the donation decision-making process.

The result, according to trainers, is that learners arrive at practical sessions better prepared, already knowing the questions they need to ask. They begin to see situations more critically, and the instructor sign-off time becomes shorter.

What proved successful

According to the program author, three benefits stood out and proved successful in practice.

First, employees were better prepared for real situations — not only technically, but also in terms of decision-making, communication with donor relatives, and donor assessment. E-learning helps them prepare better for practice: people arrive better prepared, ask more precise questions, and move more quickly toward independent work.

Second, the program helped standardize training. When content is standardized, new hires receive a consistent learning experience, have access to the same instructions, and are taught in the same way, which also makes scaling easier.

Third — and for me, the most important theme of meaning — the training intentionally connects the “how” with the “why.” Employees learn not only to perform procedures, but also to understand why they are important, how their work contributes to restoring sight, and how sensitively and thoughtfully they need to act. In other words, meaning is embedded into the real work performed by the learner and helps connect technical actions with real impact on people.

Why this case matters beyond the healthcare sector

This case once again illustrates an important idea: training is effective when it is designed with the learner in mind and when it is connected to the reality in which people work. San Diego Eye Bank’s case reminds us that effective learning solutions have two essential dimensions. The first is standards, processes, and quality; the second is meaning and a respectful relationship with the person. When these two are brought together into one program, the result is something that trainers truly aim for: learners gain greater clarity, more confident thinking, and a shorter path toward independent work approval.

Agnė Ignotienė is an e-learning developer, training effectiveness consultant, and lecturer. She works with organizations that seek to turn learning and development into tangible value: from learning strategy and competency logic to e-learning solutions, processes, and effectiveness evaluation. Agnė is the initiator of the annual study “Training Plans and Priorities in Lithuania” („Mokymų planai ir prioritetai Lietuvoje“).

Source:

Articulate “On Purpose” story “Restoring Sight, One Lesson at a Time” about the San Diego Eye Bank training program.