Continuing education among Chinese nurses: a general hospital-based study

Diabetes knowledge and training needs among non-endocrinology nurses

Background

It is necessary to determine the diabetes knowledge level among non-endocrinology nurses in primary care hospitals to develop continuing education strategies.

Method

A questionnaire survey was conducted among 6819 non-endocrinology nurses in 70 primary hospitals in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region to assess their diabetes knowledge level and training needs. Factors affecting knowledge level were analyzed using multiple linear regression models.

Results

Diabetes knowledge was low, particularly for diabetes monitoring. Knowledge was higher in nurses who had in-service education and training in diabetes; most believed that training was necessary and hoped to improve their ability to care for diabetic patients. The most suitable training method was considered to be each nurse was taught by an assigned person after centralized specialized education and training.

Conclusion

Non-endocrinology nurses in primary care hospitals lack knowledge of diabetes and have a strong need for training. Systematic training is required to ensure that patients receive high-quality and comprehensive care.

Continuing professional education experiences and expectations of nurses in Chinese military hospitals: A quantitative and qualitative study

BACKGROUND

Continuing professional education (CPE) is important for maintaining the competencies of nurses. The evaluation of training needs is necessary for well-organized CPE programs.

OBJECTIVES

To obtain a deeper understanding of the past experiences and future expectations of CPE among nurses in Chinese military hospitals in order to provide empirical support for planning effective CPE programs.

DESIGN

We implemented a two-phase procedure to investigate the experiences and expectations of CPE.

SETTINGS

Twenty one hospitals across China.

PARTICIPANTS

382 nurses in quantitative study, and 20 nurses in qualitative study.

METHODS

Self-designed questionnaire was used to quantitatively measure past experiences, willingness to participate, and future expectations of CPE via a cross-sectional study. Semi-structured interviews were carried out to explore the characteristics of CPE activities among military nurses.

RESULTS

A total of 293 (76.7 %) participants had experience with CPE in the past, and 362 (94.8 %) were willing to take CPE in the future. The top five training items they wanted to learn about in the future were combat casualty care, emergency and critical care, military skills, trauma care in an austere environment, and specialist nursing. We identified the following 5 themes in the qualitative data: military missions, military training content, military medicine training content, training methods, and professional development paths.

CONCLUSIONS

Nursing administrators and educators should consider designing hierarchical, categorized CPE programs to meet the needs of self-development and professional growth among nurses.

Development and evaluation of competency-based curriculum for continuing professional development among military nurses: a mixed methods study

BACKGROUND

Continuing professional development (CPD) is essential for career progression and maintaining military nursing competency. A well-designed CPD programme can improve the effectiveness of transforming knowledge and skills in healthcare organisations. This study aimed to develop a competency-based CPD curriculum for military nurses in China and evaluate its effectiveness from a developmental pilot study.

METHODS

In phase one, a two-round Delphi was conducted to design a competency-based curriculum of CPD based on a clinical ladder model among military nurses. In phase two, the curriculum of one CPD programme was redesigned, and a pilot quasi-experiment was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of this programme.

RESULTS

A competency-based curriculum was developed for primary, intermediate, and senior titles, respectively. The trainees' overall satisfaction with the redesigned CPD programme was 100%. The four themes in the qualitative data were: 1) learning motivation and learning barriers; 2) professional growth; 3) role model promoted career planning; 4) learning environment mattered.

CONCLUSION

This study developed a competency-based curriculum for continuing professional development among military nurses that can be used in designing CPD programmes. Competency-based curriculum can be utilised in the CPD activities to facilitate the improvement of nursing competency.

Barriers to implementing evidence-based nursing practice from the hospitals' point of view in China: A regional cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

There is a widespread international agreement that healthcare should be based on high-quality evidence; however, bridging the gap from evidence to practice is still problematic. Although barriers to the implementation of evidence-based nursing practice have been identified, most studies have focused on clinical nurses' perceptions of the barriers to evidence-based nursing practice, with a lack of investigation into barriers from the hospitals' viewpoint.

OBJECTIVES

To identify existing barriers to implementing evidence-based nursing practice from the hospitals' viewpoint.

DESIGN

A descriptive study employing a regional cross-sectional survey.

SETTINGS AND PARTICIPANTS

A convenience sample of 91 hospitals in Guangdong Province, China.

METHODS

The survey used an online questionnaire containing basic hospital information and an open-ended question. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse basic hospital data. Responses to the open-ended question were analysed with thematic analysis.

RESULTS

The sample consisted of 89 valid responses to the open-ended question. Five themes were identified: (1) knowledge (70.8 %); (2) environmental context and resources (42.7 %); (3) social influences (7.9 %); (4) intentions (7.9 %); and (5) beliefs about capabilities (1.1 %).

CONCLUSION

Introduced early in 2001, China has embraced evidence-based nursing for more than 20 years. However, lack of knowledge is still the top barrier to implementing evidence-based nursing practice in hospitals in China. The findings indicate a need for more evidence-based nursing practice teaching strategies towards further enhancing clinical nurses' and nursing managers' evidence-based nursing practice beliefs, knowledge, and skills.

Oncology-Hematology Nurses' Perspectives on the Compassion Fatigue Resiliency Program: A Qualitative Study

Background Oncology-hematology nurses are at increased risk for compassion fatigue. It remains unclear whether the Compassion Fatigue Resiliency program is effective, and qualitative evidence from participant feedback is limited. This was a follow-up study to a quantitative study of the Compassion Fatigue Resiliency program. The aims of this study were to evaluate how the content of the program affects nurses' compassion fatigue and coping abilities and to obtain their views. Method This qualitative study was performed with 24 oncology-hematology nurses at two hospitals. Three focus groups were conducted using a semi-structured questionnaire. The data were analyzed using conventional content analysis. Results Four themes emerged: awareness; coping; not for others, for me; and training design. Nurses stated they had only just learned what compassion fatigue and its impact were and had gained more awareness. Conclusion The content of the Compassion Fatigue Resiliency program helped nurses learn effective coping skills; however, the program's design is important to its effectiveness. [J Contin Educ Nurs. 2022;53(7):329-336.].

Continuing Education for Home Care Nurses: An Integrative Literature Review

With the wide range of clinical skills and responsibilities that home care nurses (HCNs) are expected to perform, it is important they are supported with access to relevant continuing nursing education (CNE) to perform their job safely and effectively. An integrative literature review was conducted to explore the current evidence on CNE for HCNs. Medline and CINAHL were searched and 13 articles that met the criteria were reviewed. The analysis identified three themes: (1) learning strategies (simulation, virtual gaming, elearning, traditional learning); (2) challenges (staffing, time, access, skill) and opportunities (incentive to stay employed, decreased burnout); and (3) learning needs (palliative, patient and family needs, older adults and dementia, acute nursing skills). Nurses who provide care to patients in their homes have very complex roles and responsibilities. In order to keep patients and nurses safe, standards of education for HCNs, beyond their basic education program, must be developed. These educational standards must be designed to address the complex medical needs of patients while making the educational opportunities accessible and value-added. Improving the CNE experience for HCNs has the potential to increase patient safety, improve care outcomes, increase nurse competence, improve retention, and decrease nurse burnout.

Nurses' Attitudes Toward Lifelong Learning via New Technologies

Introduction: Lifelong professional education is considered as a qualitative indicator in the health discipline, as it can improve health professionals' knowledge and skills, as well as nursing care. Purpose: The purpose of this original research is to examine and record the attitudes and behavior of nurses working in state-run hospitals in the Municipality of Thessaloniki regarding lifelong education through new technologies. Identification of nurses' motivations for lifelong distance education, recording of nurses' perception of the need for continuing nursing education, and determining how nurses pursue lifelong learning are the objectives of this study. Methodology: The study was conducted between January and March 2019. The sample of the study consisted of 124 nurses (n = 124) from three state hospitals of the Municipality of Thessaloniki. A questionnaire consisting of 5 parts was used as a research tool. SPSS 23 statistical software platform was used for statistical analysis. Results: The sample consisted of 124 participants, 12 were men and 112 were women. The mean age of the participants was 42.37 years and the mean experience in the field was 16.78 years. Two main reasons for continuing education were attributed to the upgrade of the nursing profession and the need to improve the quality of care provided. Conclusions: Nurses believe that continuing education is essential and their professional knowledge must periodically be enriched and renewed.

Correlation Between Needs Satisfaction and Behavioral Intentions of Sexual Health Care

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to evaluate correlations between female nurses' needs satisfaction and behavioral intentions for providing sexual health care and to assess moderating effects of learning needs on that correlation.

METHOD

A total of 300 female RNs were enrolled. Two validated instruments were used to collect information on participants' learning needs, needs satisfaction, and behavioral intentions for providing sexual health care.

RESULTS

Adjusted multivariable regression analysis revealed significant moderating effects of medium and low learning needs on correlations between needs satisfaction and behavioral intentions (medium learning needs: β = 0.282, 95% CI = 0.075, 0.490; p = .008; low learning needs: β = 0.293, 95% CI = 0.033, 0.553; p = .027), while no moderating effect was observed in those with high learning needs.

CONCLUSION

Needs satisfaction was significantly correlated with behavioral intentions of sexual health care in medium and low learning needs groups. [J Contin Educ Nurs. 2020;51(10):457-464.].

Continuing medical education and work commitment among rural healthcare workers: a cross-sectional study in 11 western provinces in China

OBJECTIVES

Continuing medical education (CME) and work commitment are important for rural healthcare workers (RHWs) and rural medical work. The significant association between continuing education and work commitment has been reported in many studies from several different industries. However, very few studies have analysed the association of CME with work commitment among healthcare workers, let alone among RHWs. This study aimed to identify the significance of CME for the work commitment of RHWs (doctors and nurses) in China.

DESIGN AND SETTING

The cross-sectional study interviewed RHWs from 11 western provinces in China.

PARTICIPANTS

In total, 4118 RHWs, consisting of 2490 doctors and 1628 nurses who were working clinically, were included in the study.

PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURES

Work commitment (ie, the relative importance of work to one's sense of self) focussing on the affective component was the dependent variable, and it included four subdomains: pride, concern, and dedication, extracted by exploratory factor analysis of a 5-point Likert scale, and turnover intent, measured by a dichotomous question. CME (ie, a variety of educational and training activities to maintain, develop or increase knowledge, skills and professional performance and relationships) was the independent variable, including three subdomains: opportunity, participation and expectation, measured by three dichotomous questions.

RESULTS

Of the 4118 respondents, 91.2% reported insufficient opportunities for CME, 21.3% had never participated in CME and 83.3% had a high expectation of CME. The mean scores of pride in, concern for and dedication to work were 3.54, 3.81 and 3.61 (out of a maximum of 5), respectively, and 30.6% presented turnover intent. After adjusting for gender, age, marriage, education, technical title, income and type of rural healthcare organisation, the multivariate analyses suggested that there was a significant positive association between CME and work commitment among RHWs. RHWs who had a significant high-level work commitment were those who reported a sufficient opportunity for CME (β and 95% CI for pride in, concern for and dedication to work: 0.33, 0.23 to 0.43; 0.19, 0.09 to 0.28; and 0.25, 0.15 to 0.35), had participated in CME (β and 95% CI for pride in, concern for and dedication to work: 0.11, 0.04 to 0.19; 0.09, 0.02 to 0.15; and 0.10, 0.03 to 0.17) and had a high expectation of CME (β and 95% CI for pride in, concern for and dedication to work: 0.22, 0.15 to 0.30; 0.21, 0.13 to 0.28; and 0.28, 0.20 to 0.36), and having sufficient opportunities for CME significantly increased the odds of having no turnover intent (OR and 95% CI: 1.70, 1.26 to 2.28). Age, marriage, education, technical title, income and type of rural healthcare organisation were significantly associated with the work commitment of RHWs. Differences were observed between rural doctors and nurses in the association of CME with work commitment.

CONCLUSIONS

CME has a significant positive association with the work commitment of RHWs in China. RHWs' work commitment should be further improved in future rural health workforce management. In addition, governments, healthcare organisations and professional associations should establish a professional and complete CME system in China to provide sufficient opportunities for CME for RHWs, encourage them to participate and meet their expectations.

In-Service Education: Evolving Internationally to Meet Nurses' Lifelong Learning Needs

In-service education (ISE) in nursing is teaching that occurs in the workplace. Internationally, ISE activities have been evident in nursing for many years because it has been seen as a convenient and cost-effective way to deliver education to nurses with minimal disruption to staffing levels and the delivery of patient care. ISE-related literature was sought to address the aim of tracing development and focus of nursing ISE in New Zealand. A key finding of this literature review is that ISE has been adapted in New Zealand and internationally to meet the demands of evolving nursing practice, and for this reason it remains relevant and essential to nurses. The embeddedness of ISE within clinical environments also supports its relevance. Future research is called for to establish which aspects of ISE are critical to ensuring its ongoing success. [J Contin Educ Nurs. 2019;50(7):313-318.].

Quality of training in oral health educational programs: What do primary healthcare providers think?

INTRODUCTION

Due to changes in scientific findings and assigned tasks, continuing education and other enabling programs are increasingly critical for primary healthcare providers to keep them up-to-date in delivering oral health services. Planning these educational courses based on actual PHCPs' needs is fundamental to provide effective ones. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the experiences and needs of PHCPs regarding the quality of the oral health training provided in continuing education and other enabling courses.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

A qualitative study with content analysis approach was conducted in Najaf-Abad, Isfahan, Iran, in 2017. Data were gathered through in-depth semi-structured interviews with 19 primary healthcare providers. The sampling was started with purposeful method and continued through snowball method. Qualitative data were coded and analyzed using MAXQDA (VER 12).

RESULTS

Factors affecting the quality of oral health training were categorized into three themes and nine subthemes, including instructor's related factors (knowledge, skills, and relevant experiences), educational content (content relevance, content innovation, and content update), and teaching methods and educational tools (fitting educational contents, covering learners' needs, and considering available possibilities).

CONCLUSION

Instructors with inadequate level of knowledge, skills, and relevant experiences as well as inappropriate selection of educational content, teaching methods, and educational tools, were recognized as affecting factors on the quality of oral health training and effectiveness of continuous education and enabling programs.

Knowledge, attitude and practice regarding nursing interruptions among Chinese nurses: A nationwide cross-sectional survey

Objectives

To explore the knowledge, attitude and practice of Chinese nurses regarding nursing interruptions and related factors.

Methods

A total of 6,400 nurses from 31 hospitals in China were investigated by using the Knowledge, Attitude and Practice (KAP) Questionnaire of Nursing Interruptions. The questionnaire consists of three dimensions, knowledge, attitude and practice, containing 10, 9 and 7 items, with full score of 50, 45 and 28, respectively.

Results

The mean overall KAP score regarding nursing interruptions of Chinese nurses was 74.05 ± 16.65 (range: 26–123), with scores for the knowledge, attitude, and practice component being 21.74 ± 9.80, 34.83 ± 6.98, and 17.49 ± 4.97, respectively. Among the nurses, 70.8% of them experienced an average level of KAP toward nursing interruptions while 15.5% were at a poor level. The knowledge, attitude, and practice of nursing interruptions were better in chief nurses, managers, nurses with a master degree or above, nurses ever received training, and nurses with a strong agreement to leadership compared to nurses in other groups (P < 0.05). In addition, employment type, professional title, position, standardized training and leaders’ attention were predictors of KAP in nurses.

Conclusion

Chinese nurses have a moderate level of KAP regarding nursing interruptions. Leaders’ attention, standardized training, position, professional title and employment type could predict nurses’ KAP state of nursing interruptions. Thus, a targeted training program should be implemented for clinical nurses by nursing leaders, with a particular focus on feasibility and professionalism.

Perceived job stress among community nurses: A multi-center cross-sectional study

AIM

China is reforming its health care system, which aimed to strengthen primary health care through building community health centers (stations) and assigning a "gate-keeper" role to primary care providers. Community nurses play a key role in the reform. Little is known about the level of job stress among community nurses. Thus, this study aims to explore the level of perceived job stress and its influencing factors among community nurses.

METHOD

A cross-sectional design was used to conduct a survey with 1015 nurses from 56 community health centers in Sichuan province. Job stress was measured by the Community Nurses Stress Scale. Data were collected between March and November 2015.

RESULTS

Community health nurses in China perceived high levels of job stress. The job stress was related to nurses' individual characteristics and work environments. Permanently employed nurses, shift workers, and those older than 45 years age and with less training related to community nursing and involvement in childcare were more likely to experience high levels of stress.

CONCLUSION

Reform is required of the community nursing personnel system, and development of continuing education programs and stress-alleviating measures to reduce community nurses' job stress. The results of this study favour future advanced practice community health nursing practice and education.

Safeguarding of vulnerable adults training: assessing the effect of continuing professional development

AIM

This article provides an insight into the effect of safeguarding of vulnerable adults continuing professional development (SOVA-CPD) training for nurses.

METHOD

51 participants were recruited from three different cohorts of SOVA-CPD training that had been delivered in east England. A 50-item questionnaire was designed to gather participants' views on their acquisition of knowledge and skills, and perceived changes in practice, and to allow them to describe how they have changed how they work due to the training.

RESULTS

Participants agreed overwhelmingly that the SOVA-CPD had enhanced their competency and skills so that their patients' care could improve. However, despite the benefits that some participants described, the potential positive effects of SOVA-CPD were curtailed by the challenges participants experienced in making changes in their practice settings.

CONCLUSION

The study highlights several benefits of SOVA-CPD for nurses, including the benefits to patient care of a CPD learning environment for practitioners. It suggests that employers should provide environments in which staff who have undertaken SOVA-CPD can trigger and sustain changes to improve patient care.

Nurses' Attitudes toward, and Needs for Online Learning: Differences between Rural and Urban Hospitals in Shanghai, East China

Health professionals need continuing education to maintain their qualifications and competency. Online learning increases the accessibility and flexibility of continuing education. Assessment of nurses' attitudes toward, and needs for, online learning can provide suggestions regarding learning program design and delivery. This study aimed to evaluate Chinese nurses' attitudes toward, and needs for, online learning, and to explore the differences in attitudes and needs between nurses working in rural and urban hospitals. This work is a secondary analysis of a multicenter cross-sectional study conducted in Shanghai in 2015 (n = 550). Multiple regression techniques were used to determine the factors associated with nurses' attitudes toward, and needs for, online learning. Results showed that nurses in rural hospitals had more positive attitudes toward online learning (102.7 ± 14.2) than those in urban hospitals (98.3 ± 12.9) (p < 0.001). For rural hospitals, nurses who could use computers and access the internet in their workplace reported more positive attitudes than those who could not. For urban hospitals, nurse educators showed significantly more positive attitudes than others. Communication skills (86.5%) and patient education (86.3%) were the most commonly-reported learning needs for nurses regardless of their working settings. Chinese nurses were willing to adopt online learning as a continuing education method. Nurses working in rural hospitals displayed more positive attitudes toward, and needs for, online learning than those working in urban hospitals. Nursing educators and managers should develop online learning programs and provide appropriate support to fulfill nurses' learning needs, especially for those working in rural healthcare settings.

The importance of reflecting on practice: How personal professional development activities affect perceived teamwork and performance

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

To examine the relationships between participation in personal professional development activities (e.g., coaching, mentoring), teamwork and performance; to investigate the mediating and moderating effects of reflective thinking and perceived usefulness of development activities.

BACKGROUND

Professional development is associated with better performance and attitudes towards one's work. This study adds to this research by focusing on understanding this effect and the conditions under which this occurs.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional survey study.

METHODS

Participants were 244 nurses working in a large, metropolitan acute public hospital. They completed a questionnaire consisting of validated measures and provided information on frequency of participation and perceived usefulness of personal professional development activities. We analysed data using regression-based moderated mediation analyses.

RESULTS

The relationship between frequency of participation in personal professional development activities and both perceived teamwork and performance was mediated by reflective thinking. Perceived usefulness of development activities moderated the relationship between frequency of participation in personal professional development activities and reflective thinking.

CONCLUSION

Our results highlight the importance of professional development activities that go beyond knowledge- or skill-based training. Activities that cater to nurses' personal professional development needs are also associated with more positively perceived teamwork and performance. Results provide insights into the mediating mechanisms: Participation in personal professional development activities encouraged reflective thinking, which was associated with better perceived teamwork and performance. This association between personal professional development activities and reflective thinking was even stronger where nurses perceived the activities as useful.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE

Personal professional development activities enhance reflection in and on practice as these activities were linked with higher perceived quality of care and teamworking. It is important to ensure that the positive effects of personal professional development activities should target nurses' professional development needs and need to be perceived as useful by those who undertake them.

Nurses in the labor market: professional insertion, competencies and skills

OBJECTIVE

to characterize nurses graduated from the School of Nursing of the University of São Paulo, from 2006 to 2012; verify their entry, facilitating factors and difficulties of these graduates in the labor market and to consider their skills and competences in the world of work.

METHOD

an exploratory, descriptive study with a qualitative approach.

RESULTS

out of 505 graduates, 172 (34.1%) participated in the research. Entry into the labor market was mainly via public hospital institutions, in the SE of Brazil, in the caregiving sectors. The greater part remained from one to two years in their first job. Most agreed that they were prepared to meet the health needs of the population.  Furthermore, they had been encouraged to seek systematic and continuous improvement in a critical, reflexive and creative way, while combining technical-scientific knowledge and personal skills.

CONCLUSION

the results show that the University of São Paulo has been preparing nurses for work in the labor market, in accordance with the provisions of the National Curricular Guidelines.

Training needs of clinical nurses at an university hospital in Turkey

The learning needs of clinical nurses should be determined and evaluated at regular intervals for evaluate the continuity and the efficiency of education. The descriptive study was conducted to determine the training needs of nurses working in an educational hospital between February 1st 2012 and May 1st 2012. It was determined that, among the training topics related to patient care, those demanded the most were cardio-pulmonary resuscitation, fluid-electrolyte balance, safe drug administration and wound Care. As for the topics related to management skills, the nurses stated that they needed training especially on stress and crisis management. The results of the present study suggest that in-service training is necessary in the clinical field and training programs, which should be aimed to ensure the participation of; nurses in in-service training sessions to the maximum extent possible, are needed.

Diabetes knowledge of nurses in different countries: An integrative review

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to identify, critically appraise and synthesise evidence of nurses' knowledge of diabetes and identify factors that function as barriers to nurses' acquisition of diabetes knowledge.

DESIGN

An integrative review

METHODS

A systematic search was conducted for English-language, peer reviewed publications of any research design via CINAHL, Medline, EMBASE, and Education Research Complete databases from 2004 to 2014. Of 374 articles retrieved, after removal of duplicates and quality appraisal, 25 studies were included in the review and synthesised based on study characteristics, design and findings.

FINDINGS

Studies originated from developed and developing countries and applied a variety of research designs and tools to assess nurses' knowledge of diabetes. Assessed aspects of diabetes care included knowledge of diabetes medications (12 studies), nutrition (7), blood glucose monitoring (7), diabetes complications (6), and pathology, symptoms and diabetes management (9). Factors/barriers affecting nurses' acquisition of diabetes knowledge were identified (11). Overall, findings indicated wide-spread serious and sustained deficiencies in nurses' knowledge of diabetes and diabetes care.

CONCLUSION

With nurses demonstrating significant and long-standing knowledge deficits in many aspects of diabetes care, strategies are urgently required to overcome the identified barriers to knowledge acquisition.

Motives and activities for continuing professional development: An exploration of their relationships by integrating literature and interview data

BACKGROUND

To effectively enhance professional development, it is important to understand the motivational factors behind nurses' engagement in particular types of learning activities. Nurses have various motives for professional development and utilise different learning activities. Not much is known about how these relate.

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between nurses' motives and activities for continuing professional development, by examining in which types of learning activities nurses engage, with which motives, and whether certain motives are associated with certain learning activities.

DESIGN

A qualitative study using semi-structured interviews.

SETTINGS AND PARTICIPANTS

Twenty-one nurses in academic and general Dutch hospitals participated.

METHODS

Interview data on nurses' learning biographies were analysed using a literature-based framework on motives and learning activities for continuing professional development. As recent classifications of nurses' motives for professional development were absent, the literature was reviewed for motives, using three databases. The interview transcripts were analysed for motives, learning activities and their relationships.

RESULTS

Nine motives and four categories of learning activities for continuing professional development were delineated. Increasing competence was the primary motive that stimulated nurses to engage in self-directed learning during work, and in formal learning activities. To comply with requirements, they engaged in mandatory courses. To deepen knowledge, they registered for conferences. To develop their careers, they enrolled in postgraduate education. Five other motives were not mentioned as frequently.

CONCLUSIONS

Specific motives were found to be related to engagement in particular learning activities. Nurses could use these findings to increase their awareness of why and how they develop professionally, and managers and human resource development professionals could develop approaches that would better suit nurses' needs.

Development of nursing management competencies: guidelines for continuous education services

Abstract OBJECTIVE Developing continuing education guidelines for the development of nursing management competencies along with the members of the Center of Nursing Continuing Education of Parana. METHOD A qualitative research outlined by the action research method, with a sample consisting of 16 nurses. Data collection was carried out in three stages and data were analyzed according to the thematic analysis technique. RESULTS It was possible to discuss the demands and difficulties in developing nursing management competencies in hospital organizations and to collectively design a guideline. CONCLUSION The action research contributed to the production of knowledge, confirming the need and the importance of changing the educational processes and evaluations, based on methodologies and instruments for professional development in accordance with human resource policies and contemporary organizational policies.

A Multi-Method Study of the Geriatric Learning Needs of Acute Care Hospital Nurses in Ontario, Canada

Older people are at risk of experiencing functional decline and related complications during hospitalization. In countries with projected increases in age demographics, preventing these adverse consequences is a priority. Because most Canadian nurses have received little geriatrics content in their basic education, understanding their learning needs is fundamental to preparing them to respond to this priority. This two-phased multi-method study identified the geriatrics learning needs and strategies to address the learning needs of acute care registered nurses (RNs) and registered practical nurses (RPNs) in the province of Ontario, Canada. In Phase I, a survey that included a geriatric nursing knowledge scale was completed by a random sample of 2005 Ontario RNs and RPNs. Average scores on the geriatric nursing knowledge scale were in the "neither good nor bad" range, with RNs demonstrating slightly higher scores than RPNs. In Phase II, 33 RN and 24 RPN survey respondents participated in 13 focus group interviews to help confirm and expand survey findings. In thematic analysis, three major themes were identified that were the same in RNs and RPNs: (a) geriatric nursing is generally regarded as simple and custodial, (b) older people's care is more complex than is generally appreciated, and (c) in the current context, older people's care is best learned experientially and in brief on-site educational sessions. Healthcare providers, policy-makers, and educators can use the findings to develop educational initiatives to prepare RNs and RPNs to respond to the needs of an aging hospital population.

Effects of an online problem-based learning program on sexual health care competencies among oncology nurses: a pilot study

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to test the effectiveness of an online problem-based learning (e-PBL) program that offers multimedia scenarios to develop sexual health care competencies.

METHOD

A pretest–posttest control group design was used with two randomized groups in one Korean tertiary hospital. The sample included 32 RNs who cared for oncology patients. The intervention group completed an e-PBL cycle consisting of eight tutorials.

RESULTS

Nurses in the intervention group scored significantly higher on knowledge than did those in the control group. The intervention group exhibited no significant differences in attitude and practices following the intervention.

CONCLUSION

The results show the potential of e-PBL to enhance traditional PBL by offering multimedia scenarios in an interactive and flexible learning environment.

Psychometric properties of an instrument to measure facilitators and barriers to nurses' participation in continuing education programs

Background:

Continuing education programs are one of the professional principles in health-related disciplines, including nursing. The aim of this study was to develop an instrument measuring facilitators and barriers to nurses’ participation in continuing education programs.

Methods:

In the first phase, the items generated for the instrument were drawn from a comprehensive literature review along with a polling of experts. Then the psychometric properties were measured.

Results:

A Scale-Level Content Validity Index of 0.90 for the primary instrument with 36 items was obtained. The factor structure of inventory was identified by undertaking a Principal Component Analysis in a sample of 361 nurses. Three factors were extracted with a total variance account of 62.67%. Reliability was demonstrated with Cronbach’s alpha coefficient = 0.92. Consistency of instrument was established with test-retest reliability (Intra Cluster Correlation = 0.93, P<0.001).

Conclusion:

The major focus of this study was to develop a locally sensitive instrument to assess the facilitators and barriers to Iranian nurses’ participation in continuing education programs.

A cross-sectional study of facilitators and barriers of Iranian nurses' participation in continuing education programs

Background:

Continuing education is one of the modern strategies to maintain and elevate knowledge and professional skills of nurses which in turn elevate the health status of society. Since several factors affect nurses’ participation in continuing education, it’s essential to know promoters and obstacles in this issue and plan accordingly.

Methods:

In this cross-sectional study, 361 Iranian nurses who were recruited by convenience sampling method completed an anonymous, self-administered questionnaire from October 2012 to April 2013. Topics covered the participants’ attitudes towards facilitators and barriers of their participation in continuing education.

Results:

Mean and standard deviation of participants’ age were 37.14±7.58 years and 93.94% were female. The maximum score of facilitators and barriers to nurses’ participation in continuing education were related to “Update my knowledge” and “Work commitments” respectively. The results showed among Iranian nurses, the mean score of personal and structural barriers was significantly higher than the mean score of interpersonal ones (F=2122.66, p<0.001).

Conclusion:

Results highlight policy makers and nursing managers’ role on improving the accessibility to provided continuing education programs by enforcement of facilitators and reducing barriers focusing on the personal and structural barriers.