Nurses' perception of the impact of professional development sessions on their pre-hospital clinical practice with trauma victims.

Background: Continuing education is important for the quality of clinical practice because it complements it and focuses primarily on producing qualified pre-hospital nurses with operationally defined competence in nursing standards. The objective of this study was to assess pre-hospital nurses' opinion of the impact of professional development sessions on their clinical practice. Method: A descriptive and quantitative study was carried out involving Portuguese pre-hospital nurses. Six professional development sessions were presented in 2020 to pre-hospital registered nurses in four of Portugal's main cities. To collect the data, at the end of each session, we apply a questionnaire designed specifically for this study. This data collection instrument consists of 11 questions, six designed to evaluate the session and five designed to evaluate the trainer responsible for the session. A five-point Likert scale was used for each question, where 1 corresponds to very dissatisfied and 5 to extremely satisfied. Results: Two hundred and two nurses, which represents 55% of all Portuguese pre-hospital nurses, took part in the assessment of the professional development sessions. The nurses were from the Northern region of Portugal (51%; n = 102), the Centre region (29%; n = 59) and the Southern region of Portugal (20%; n = 41). Nurses found the session extremely satisfactory. All the assessment scores ranged between 4.4 and 4.7 points, on a scale of 1 to 5. 76.2% of the participants considered that the knowledge acquired could have a major impact [score = 5] on their future clinical practice. The majority of pre-hospital nurses (96.5%) felt that the session could have a major impact [score = 5; 76.2%, n = 154] or a very important impact [score = 4; 20.3%, n = 41] on their clinical practice. Conclusion: The professional development sessions provide pre-hospital nurses with the latest research findings and the majority of nurses considered that the training had a huge impact on their clinical practice. However, it is important that future research aims to explore the cause-effect relationship between training and improved clinical practice.

Enhancing clinical reasoning for management of non-communicable diseases: virtual patient cases as a learning strategy for nurses in primary healthcare centers: a pre-post study design.

BACKGROUND: In Rwanda, nurses manage all primary care at health centres, and therefore are their clinical reasoning skills important. In this study, a web-based software that allows the creation of virtual patient cases (VP cases) has been used for studying the possibility of using VP cases for the continuous professional development of nurses in primary health care in Rwanda. Previous studies in pre-service education have linked VP cases with the enhancement of clinical reasoning, a critical competence for nurses. This study investigated the feasibility of continuous professional development through VP cases to further train in-service nurses in clinical reasoning. METHOD: The study used a pre-post test design. Initially, seventy-six participants completed a questionnaire as part of the pre-test phase, subsequently invited to engage with all four VP cases, and finally responded to the post-test questionnaire evaluating clinical reasoning skills. Fifty-six participants successfully completed the entire study process and were considered in the analysis. The primary outcomes of this study were evaluated using a paired t-test for the statistical analysis. RESULTS: The results show that the mean score of clinical reasoning increased significantly from the pre-test to the post-test for all four illness areas (p < 0.001). The study findings showed no statistically significant difference in participants' scores based on demographic factors, including whether they worked in urban or rural areas.  CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION: Utilizing VP cases appears to significantly enhance the continuous professional development of nurses, fostering a deliberate learning process that enables them to reflect on how they manage cases and, in turn, refine their clinical reasoning skills. This study strongly recommends incorporating VP cases in the continuous professional development of nurses at the primary health level (health centers). This is especially pertinent in a context where nurses are required to perform diagnostic processes similar to those employed by physicians.

Preceptor Development: Using the American Nurses Credentialing Center Outcome-Based Continuing Education Model©.

Preceptors play a vital role in shaping the growth of every nurse. Effective preceptors lead to better patient outcomes as new nurses are better equipped to deliver high-quality care under the guidance of experienced mentors. Providing a supportive preceptor experience increases job satisfaction and retention rates among new and tenured nurses, ultimately benefiting health care organizations. When designing preceptor development programs, health care institutions should incorporate the Outcome-Based Continuing Education Model© (OB-CE Model©) from the American Nurses Credentialing Center. This column explores how to use the OB-CE Model© to enhance the competency and human skills of preceptors as learners, thereby fostering their development effectively. [J Contin Educ Nurs. 2024;55(5):212-216.].

Development of a Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) Activity.

Global mobility has made global health a priority within nursing curricula and health care organizations. A collaborative online learning activity could promote international perspectives of health care delivery. Including a collaborative online international learning activity in continuing education for practicing nurses is a viable strategy that is consistent with the internationalization at home movement. Use of a qualitative descriptive evaluation approach when teaching prelicen-sure nursing students and educating practicing nurses provides effective international collaboration, promotes a global mindset, and provides an exemplar for professional development specialists to teach practicing nurses. [J Contin Educ Nurs. 2024;55(5):220-223.].

Advancing Nursing Practice: The Evolution and Impact of Continuing Professional Development.

American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Accreditation in Nursing Continuing Professional Development (NCPD) emphasizes the importance of maintaining competence, ensuring patient safety, and supporting career advancement in nursing through learning and development. It underscores the shift toward competency-based and outcome-oriented education models, addressing challenges such as misconceptions about the demands of NCPD and focusing more on the impact. This column provides the "why" for organizations, leaders, and nurses to engage in ANCC accredited NCPD educational programs. It further explores a future where NCPD fosters a skilled, equitable, and diverse health care workforce, promoting transformational learning experiences. [J Contin Educ Nurs. 2024;55(4):153-156.].

Continuing nursing education actions in the face of homophobia: an integrative review.

OBJECTIVES: to analyze continuing nursing education actions in the scientific literature in the face of homophobia. METHODS: an integrative literature review with structured search in June 2022 in eight databases, using the descriptors Nursing Education, Homophobia, Sexual and Gender Minorities. Final sample consisted of six primary studies. RESULTS: continuing nursing education actions are supported by strategies such as use of teaching materials, lectures, case studies and focus groups, addressing content such as gender identity issues and affective-sexual orientation, health disparities and their relationship with homophobia in healthcare settings. FINAL CONSIDERATIONS: carried out in various healthcare settings, continuing education actions proved to be successful in raising nurses' awareness in facing homophobia in health services, however, their expansion is necessary to create health spaces that meet the specific needs of these people.

The effectiveness of aesthetic care training on nurses' perceptions of end-of-life care in patients with cancer: a quasi-experimental study.

BACKGROUND: Supportive end-of-life care plays a significant role for patients with cancer. Significantly, art and aesthetics in nursing are regarded as key components of nursing practice. They may contribute to supportive end-of-life care that nurses provide for patients with cancer. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the effectiveness of aesthetic care training on nurses' perceptions of end-of-life care in patients with cancer. METHODS: A quasi-experimental study was conducted with two groups of nurses working in the oncology wards of two hospitals in Kerman, Iran. A sample consisting of 100 nurses was selected by census and randomly assigned to an experimental group (n = 49) and a control group (n = 51). The experimental group received educational workshops on aesthetic care over four weekly-held 90-minute sessions. Both groups completed the Oncology Nurses' Perceptions of End-Of-Life Care (ONPEoLC) Scale before, immediately after, and one month after the intervention. The data were analyzed with SPSS software version 21 using t-test, Chi-square, and repeated measures ANOVA. The significance level was set to p < 0.05. RESULTS: The mean baseline scores on the ONPEoLC Scale were 163.08 ± 13.58 in the experimental group and 163.27 ± 14.57 in the control group. There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups (P > 0.05). Post-intervention mean scores in the experimental and control groups were 187.1 ± 18.22 and 159.11 ± 22.11, respectively, indicating a statistically significant difference between the two groups (P < 0.001). One month after the intervention, the experimental and control groups' mean scores were 190.89 ± 11.13 and 165.80 ± 11.69, respectively, with a significant difference between the groups (P = 0.001). CONCLUSION: Based on the results of the present study, designing aesthetic care educational programs is an effective way to improve nurses' understanding of end-of-life care. Therefore, it is recommended that nursing faculties and educational policymakers utilize aesthetic care training to improve the nurses' perceptions of end-of-life care.

Exploring the potential impact of applying web-based training program on nurses' knowledge, skills, and attitudes regarding evidence-based practice: A quasi-experimental study.

Evidence-based practice (EBP) has gained significant importance in clinical practice worldwide, including in nursing. This study aimed to explore the potential impact of applying a web-based training program on nurses' knowledge, skills, and attitudes regarding EBP. A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest research design was utilized with a purposive sample of 64 professional nurses who agreed to participate. The study took place in different hospitals and primary healthcare centers in the Bisha Governorate, Aseer region, Saudi Arabia. A four-week standardized web-based training program was implemented using an online learning approach. Nurses were provided with an online self-rated data collection tool through the Google Forms platform. The findings indicated a highly significant difference in the total knowledge and EBP skills mean scores of the post-intervention (53.08±15.9) and (66.03±8.95), respectively compared to pre-intervention (P<0.05). Additionally, there was marked improvement in the mean scores of the positive attitude of the training sessions post-intervention compared to pre-intervention. The program was also well-received by the nurses in terms of quality and usability. The program has the potential to enhance nurses' knowledge, skills, and attitudes toward EBP. Therefore, healthcare organizations may consider adopting web-based training as a means of continuing professional education to promote EBP competencies among nurses.

Improving Professional Development Based on Evaluation of Nursing Education Programs Through Feedback.

A feedback-driven selection process to evaluate professionals strengthens and improves the quality of future education they provide. A university in Sri Lanka invited teaching specialists by incorporating feedback of those teaching educators. The selection of professionals to teach courses improved the quality of education drastically. The findings show that refining education through feedback enhances future education quality and promotes subject matter expert engagement in improving educational programs. [J Contin Educ Nurs. 2024;55(3):110-112.].

Education for Health Care Providers on Implementation of Trauma-Informed Care in Practice.

BACKGROUND: Traumatic experiences can adversely affect a child's health. These effects often continue into adulthood, especially when trauma is not addressed. Although the evidence shows benefits with addressing trauma earlier in life, trauma-informed care of children is underused in primary care. Health care providers (nurses, nurse practitioners, physicians) report gaps in knowledge of trauma-informed care and in their comfort level addressing trauma in primary care. METHOD: This project investigated the use of continuing education sessions to increase health care providers' knowledge and readiness to implement trauma-informed care into their practice. RESULTS: The education sessions improved health care providers' knowledge and comfort with trauma-informed care. CONCLUSION: This intervention improved providers' readiness to implement trauma-informed care into their primary care practice. [J Contin Educ Nurs. 2024;55(5):246-252.].

Nurse Upskilling During Crisis: Collaborating for Continuing Education.

BACKGROUND: As rates of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) reached pandemic levels in early 2020, the need for intensive care unit (ICU) nurses with mechanical ventilator knowledge increased. In response to the pandemic, hospital systems with limited resources reported moving ICU nurse educators to direct patient care roles and reassigning non-ICU nurses to work in the ICU. With fewer resources to educate non-ICU nurses and many newly assigned nurses reporting feeling unprepared for work in the ICU, the need for an accessible and scalable introduction to ICU nursing became clear. METHOD: Our team responded by creating a free, online, self-paced, asynchronous course introducing the ICU nursing setting. RESULTS: More than 4,000 learners worldwide have enrolled in the course, with 94% of survey respondents expecting the course to positively impact their institution. CONCLUSION: Our project shows an approach to effective collaboration among clinical partners, instructional designers, and nursing experts to address critical needs in continuing education in nursing. [J Contin Educ Nurs. 2024;55(5):257-260.].

Exploring the Educational Value of an Immersive Virtual Reality Method Within a Continuing Education Module in Nursing: A Mixed Methods Study.

BACKGROUND: Few studies have explored the potential educational value of immersive 360° video in continuing education. This study explored the potential value of immersive 360° video as an acceptable educational method in a continuing education module in nursing. METHOD: A convergent parallel mixed methods design was adopted. The setting was a nursing and midwifery school at a university. The 11 participants were RNs. Data were collected at three time points with surveys and focus groups. RESULTS: Participants found educational value in the triggering of a deep reflective process, supported by a subsequent classroom discussion. Further, there were nuances and complexities to be considered, with a need to tailor material toward high-acuity, low-frequency, or challenging clinical events when considering content. CONCLUSION: Immersive 360° videos are a potentially useful method for providing continuing education; however, the content must be tailored to students' learning needs. A reflective model may provide a valuable structure for discussions after the use of immersive 360° video. [J Contin Educ Nurs. 2024;55(5):261-268.].

Supporting Nurse Professional Development Practitioners Through an Academic-Practice Pilot Initiative.

BACKGROUND: Nurse professional development practitioners (NPDPs) support licensed nurses as they transition into practice. The NPDPs themselves benefit from opportunities to grow professionally in their role as educators. METHOD: A nursing school and hospital leadership pilot initiative was conducted to support staff development for NPDPs at a Midwestern health system. Four sessions were developed by academic educators and presented to NPDPs: educational theory, backward curricular design, active learning strategies, and assessment and evaluation principles. RESULTS: The NPDPs who attended the seminar indicated that the program objectives were met and identified at least one change they planned to make in planning, course design, or evaluation. In addition, they requested future professional development opportunities. Planning and implementation of this pilot educational seminar provided valuable content for NPDPs. CONCLUSION: This pilot model can strengthen academic-practice partnerships and support ongoing staff development. [J Contin Educ Nurs. 2024;55(5):253-256.].

How Implementing a Digital Competency Management System Reduced Nurse Training Cost and Improved NPD Practitioner Satisfaction in a Pediatric Hospital.

BACKGROUND: Traditional competency evaluations and manual tracking created a problem within one organization. Subjective competency assessments and inconsistent recordkeeping resulted in increased organizational costs. These factors increased the workload of nursing professional development (NPD) practitioners, leading to job dissatisfaction and turnover. METHOD: The project lead evaluated how implementing a digital competency management system (CMS) affected nurse training costs and assessed NPD practitioners' satisfaction after the digital CMS conversion. RESULTS: A cost analysis compared training costs before and after implementation of a digital CMS. A pre- and postsurvey compared NPD practitioners' satisfaction before and after digital implementation. A digital CMS provided a centralized repository and educational platform, which saved $500,000 in training costs and increased NPD practitioners' job satisfaction by decreasing workload and creating meaningful mechanisms to accurately assess staff knowledge and skills. CONCLUSION: The NPD practitioners showed tangible outcome measures and return on investment by combining adult learning and technology. [J Contin Educ Nurs. 2024;55(5):239-245.].

E-portfolio as an effective tool for improvement of practitioner nurses' clinical competence.

BACKGROUND: Clinical competence is essential for providing effective patient care. Clinical Governance (CG) is a framework for learning and assessing clinical competence. A portfolio is a work-placed-based tool for monitoring and reflecting on clinical practice. This study aimed to investigate the effect of using an e-portfolio on the practitioner nurses' competence improvement through the CG framework. METHODS: This was a quasi-experimental study with 30 nurses in each intervention and control group. After taking the pretests of knowledge and performance, the participants attended the in-person classes and received the educational materials around CG standards for four weeks. In addition, nurses in the intervention group received the links to their e-portfolios individually and filled them out. They reflected on their clinical practice and received feedback. Finally, nurses in both groups were taken the post-tests. RESULTS: Comparing the pre-and post-test scores in each group indicated a significant increase in knowledge and performance scores. The post-test scores for knowledge and performance were significantly higher in the intervention group than in the control one, except for the initial patient assessment. CONCLUSION: This study showed that the e-portfolio is an effective tool for the improvement of the nurses' awareness and performance in CG standards. Since the CG standards are closely related to clinical competencies, it is concluded that using portfolios effectively improves clinical competence in practitioner nurses.