Challenges of Continuous Nursing Education in Health Agencies

Abstract

Background: Many factors effects on continuous nursing education, like environment of the study or teaching method, stimulation of employees to participate in the courses and participant’s satisfaction or outcome, so evaluating such unit is so vital and can strengthen weak points and this leads to better patient outcome and high rates of nurses job satisfaction. Aims: This study aims to evaluate continuous nursing education in three parts structure, process and outcome, and knowing factors affecting it. Methodology: Descriptive study design, data collected from three educational hospitals and eight primary health care centers,the approval to conduct the study was obtained from Training and Development Centre in Babylon Health institution, Ethical committee in the nursing college of Babylon and official permissions from Al-Hilla Teaching Hospital, Babylon Maternity and Children Teaching Hospital, Murjan Medical City and Al-Hilla health sectors 1 & 2. Structure and process data gathered by researcher from continuous nursing education unit manager by answering questionnaire which reviewed by (20) nursing experts, the outcome assessed by nurses who participated in continuous nursing education courses by answering the questionnaire by (250) nurse, convenient sampling. Results: The finding refers to several infrastructure weak points, low funds leads to decreased learning preparations like smart screens or advanced laboratories and medical equipment for training. The courses scheduling which set by health ministry are less than applied actually, and low focusing about nursing competencies in these courses, there wasn’t any coordination between health institutions and higher education to fill knowledge gaps or decrease subjects repetition for nurses, and few nurses takes courses out of their hospitals (abroad). High rates of participant nurses didn’t get money reward and most of them used participation certificate for promotion purposes, though, high rates of nurse’s satisfaction about continuous nursing education role, timing commitment, gaining knowledge and scientific materials provided. Conclusion: The purpose of this article was to describe our evaluation process. Continuous nursing education evaluation is central to the mission and integrity of nursing programs in preparing successful nurses, advanced practice nurses, leaders, and scholars. At a more immediate level, continuous nursing education evaluation is an integral component of continuous quality improvement and of significant benefit in planning and implementing intentional, data-driven, program changes. Putting continuous nursing education units in high priority in hospitals policies or primary health care centers in financial support will improve its performance and provide an appropriate environment, tools, hiring highly educated lecturers or participating in abroad of their governances or even country, for studying and learning new skills. Coordination with educational institutions will provide variety in teaching method and filling gaps in the learner knowledge chain, further studies in this field is required that focuses in Health ministry curriculum, separation of hospitals and primary health care centers, and about nurses that didn’t engaged in continuous nursing education courses.