Continue nursing education: an action research study on the implementation of a nursing training program using the Holton Learning Transfer System Inventory.

OBJECTIVE: To address the gap in effective nursing training for quality management, this study aims to implement and assess a nursing training program based on the Holton Learning Transfer System Inventory, utilizing action research to enhance the practicality and effectiveness of training outcomes. METHODS: The study involved the formation of a dedicated training team, with program development informed by an extensive situation analysis and literature review. Key focus areas included motivation to transfer, learning environment, and transfer design. The program was implemented in a structured four-step process: plan, action, observation, reflection. RESULTS: Over a 11-month period, 22 nurses completed 14 h of theoretical training and 18 h of practical training with a 100% attendance rate and 97.75% satisfaction rate. The nursing team successfully led and completed 22 quality improvement projects, attaining a practical level of application. Quality management implementation difficulties, literature review, current situation analysis, cause analysis, formulation of plans, implementation plans, and report writing showed significant improvement and statistical significance after training. CONCLUSION: The study confirms the efficacy of action research guided by Holton's model in significantly enhancing the capabilities of nursing staff in executing quality improvement projects, thereby improving the overall quality of nursing training. Future research should focus on refining the training program through long-term observation, developing a multidimensional evaluation index system, exploring training experiences qualitatively, and investigating the personality characteristics of nurses to enhance training transfer effects.

Justice, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging (JEDI-B) in Transition to Practice Programs.

Justice, equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging (JEDI-B) are essential for creating safe and productive professional environments. Clear definitions of JEDI-B terms are essential for collective understanding and organizational buy-in. Institutional and transition to practice program efforts should focus on the development of inclusive cultures, diverse curriculum, and data-driven evaluation of JEDI-B policies, processes, and practices. Engagement in bias recognition and the unlearning of those biases is also vital. Despite current legislative challenges, the integration of JEDI-B principles remains a vital component in enhancing health care experiences for patients and fostering inclusive workplaces. [J Contin Educ Nurs. 2024;55(6):273-275.].

Inspiring and Nurturing Human-Centered Leaders: The Vital Role of Mentorship.

Because health care is a relational profession, logic suggests the structures, processes, and outcomes of nursing leadership and mentoring should be strongly grounded in relational concepts. Human-Centered Leadership in Healthcare™ provides an evidence-based, contemporary structure to carry out the vital process of mentoring for future leaders to deliver on patient and team member outcomes. [J Contin Educ Nurs. 2024;55(6):276-278.].

Values and Ethics Domain for Professional Identity in Nursing.

A crucial domain of professional identity in nursing is the area of values and ethics. Comprising a set of core values and principles, values and ethics are used to guide nurse conduct. Professional development specialists can use the nursing code of ethics and organizational structure and examples to teach nurses the values and ethics domain of professional identity in nursing. [J Contin Educ Nurs. 2024;55(6):279-281.].

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.

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.].

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.

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.

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.].

Online Learning to Improve Nurses' Knowledge, Attitudes, and Self-Efficacy About Managing Postoperative Pain in Older Adults.

BACKGROUND: Older adults undergoing total knee arthroplasty may develop chronic pain without effective postoperative pain management. Increasing nurses' knowledge, changing their attitudes, and developing their pain management self-efficacy could improve the effectiveness of pain management. AIM: To determine the effectiveness of an online learning program to help registered nurses to manage postoperative pain in older adults undergoing total knee arthroplasty. DESIGN: A quasi-experimental pre-test-post-test design with intervention and control groups. METHOD: Six inpatient units were randomly selected at a large tertiary care medical center. Sixty nurses were evenly divided between intervention and control groups to participate in online learning about postoperative pain management in patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty. The content was based on Kolb's experiential learning theory. Data were collected on nurses' knowledge and attitudes toward pain management and pain management self-efficacy at baseline and after completion. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, paired t-tests, and independent t-tests. RESULTS: The knowledge and attitudes about pain management and pain management self-efficacy toward older adults undergoing total knee arthroplasty of nurses in the intervention group significantly improved compared to the baseline and were also significantly higher than in the control group. CONCLUSIONS: An online learning program improves nurses' understanding and ability to manage pain in older adults undergoing total knee arthroplasty. This was therefore an effective learning method.

Translating Person-Centered Care Policy Into Practice: A Pre-Post Study of a Work-Based Learning Intervention for Nurses.

BACKGROUND: Person-centered care is critical to quality health care, but difficult to implement. This challenge is attributed to cultural factors derived from group values about work practices. Work-based educational interventions allow nurses to develop shared meanings of practice, in this case, promoting the value of person-centered care. METHOD: A 30-minute, work-based educational intervention incorporating reflection on videorecorded practice scenarios was evaluated with a quasi-experimental pre-post design. Nurses (N = 119) completed a survey, including a subset of 16 items from the Person-Centred Practice Inventory-Staff, before and immediately after the intervention. RESULTS: Nurses' awareness of what patients value about their care, the importance of connecting with the patient, and the value of integrating human elements into actions increased after the intervention. Nurses' perceptions of how they would include patients and their preferences in care decisions did not significantly change. CONCLUSION: Educational techniques that allow nursing teams to reflect on practice may help with implementation of person-centered care. [J Contin Educ Nurs. 2024;55(6):303-308.].

An Innovative Use of the Logic Model for a Qualitative Analysis Framework.

BACKGROUND: Qualitative analysis can be a daunting and time-consuming task for those who are attempting to code qualitative data for the first time. METHOD: This article presents select secondary data analysis from a previously published study to demonstrate the applicability and usefulness of implementing a logic model approach to provide a framework for qualitative analysis. RESULTS: The use of the logic model provided systematic organization during the analysis process, efficiency for analytical tasks, and enhanced trustworthiness by documenting each analysis step. The model allowed for easier visualization of data that facilitated a richer and more focused analysis. CONCLUSION: With qualitative data that are focused on processes or outcomes, implementing a logic model framework to categorize and organize data can be useful and efficient, particularly for a novice analyst whether analyzing qualitative text for quality improvement, evidence-based practice, program evaluation, or formal research. [J Contin Educ Nurs. 2024;55(6):297-301.].

Preceptor Boot Camp: Basic Training for Novice Preceptors.

BACKGROUND: A clinical preceptor (CP) provides the vital link to apply didactic learning in clinical practice for nurse practitioner (NP) students. A nationwide shortage of CPs continues. The goal of this pilot project was to evaluate a model for developing preceptors from the school of nursing alumni that addressed modifiable academic barriers to precepting. METHOD: Six NP alumni from the school of nursing participated in a comprehensive novice CP training program based on Kolb's experiential learning theory and unparalleled faculty support through regularly scheduled contact. Pre- and posttests, site visits, and focus groups were used to assess the participants' progress. RESULTS: Participants' self-reported ability to teach and manage time when working with NP students improved, and 83.9% showed improved knowledge of precepting skills. CONCLUSION: Foundational skills and communication are essential elements to support novice CPs. This support may enhance both student and CP experience as well as increase retention of CPs. [J Contin Educ Nurs. 2024;55(6):283-288.].

An Evidence-Based Approach to Constructing Multiple-Choice Test Questions for Knowledge Assessment.

BACKGROUND: This article provides nursing educators practical tips and evidence-based strategies for effective construction of multiple-choice questions (MCQs). Well-designed MCQs that align with the intended learning objectives are critical for implementing sound assessment practices. METHOD: This article offers a step-by-step approach to test construction, starting with the assessment blueprint and followed by important considerations when writing the specific components of the MCQ. RESULTS: Appropriate inclusion of clinical context in the MCQ and a description of common flaws to avoid, with suggested remedies, are also addressed. CONCLUSION: Ultimately, the goal of this article is to equip nurse educators with the foundational tools to create high-quality MCQs that effectively assess knowledge acquisition by learners. [J Contin Educ Nurs. 2024;55(6):289-296.].

Simulation, Storytelling, and Pediatric End-of-Life Care: A Continuing Professional Development Approach for Nurse Residents.

Background: Providing end-of-life (EOL) care to pediatric patients and their families is challenging. Newly licensed nurses, especially those working with the hematology/oncology population, have little to no experience providing the specialized care needed for the dying child. An evidence-based continuing professional development activity provided a novel approach to improve the knowledge, attitudes, and comfort levels of nurse residents related to pediatric EOL care. Method: A high-fidelity simulation module of a pediatric oncology patient at the EOL was embedded into a 12-month nurse residency program. The module employed several teaching strategies including a storytelling approach. Results: Thirteen pediatric nurse residents participated in the program. While the evidence-based intervention increased participants' EOL care knowledge, their overall attitudes, and comfort levels remained unchanged. Discussion: EOL simulation with a storytelling approach is a highly valuable method of teaching new nurses how to care for a dying patient. Additional studies are needed to explore how to increase the comfort levels of new nurses in the delicate population of pediatric hematology/oncology.