Continuing education activities of physicians in solo and group practice: report on a pilot study.

Group practice has often been suggested as a form of medical care organization that facilitates professional pursuits, including continuing medical education. A survey was conducted among Iowa physicians in fee-for service multispecialty group practice and in other forms of fee-for-service medical practice, including solo practice and small partnerships to determine their levels of engagement in a number of different types of continuing medical education activities. While several differences between the two groups were found, the survey indicated that overall the levels of engagement for the two groups were similar.     

Cultural sensitivity education for nurses: a pilot study

Health professionals need to be responsive to changing demographics, especially the growing Hispanic American population. This pilot project explored the effect that an education program about selected Hispanic health beliefs and practices had on nurses who provide care to this population. Seven white registered nurses employed at a small, rural health department completed a 10-item, researcher-designed instrument, termed the Lee Cultural Sensitivity Tool: Hispanic Version, before and after an educational intervention. Findings showed that the intervention increased knowledge of selected Hispanic health beliefs and practices.     

Nursing assessment of TURP syndrome: a pilot study

How can the signs and symptoms of transurethral resection prostate (TURP) syndrome be identified by nurses? This study aimed to develop a nursing instrument to assess TURP syndrome. TURP syndrome is a complication that potentially occurs during TURP surgery. It is a water intoxication related to hyponatremia and acid‐based imbalance. This syndrome should be recognized early in order to prevent fatality. This pilot study employed a participatory action research combined with statistical analysis for validity and reliability testing. Twenty‐eight Indonesian urological nurses and one urologist medical doctor were engaged in this study. Informed consent was obtained before study outset. The study was entirely accomplished at Muhammadiyah Hospital I and II, Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Pearson's correlations test of each item was measured with correlation coefficient greater than 0·40 considered as evidence of satisfactory item convergence validity. The instrument reliability test was confirmed by Cronbach's α coefficients with score greater than 0·433 supposed as a reliable instrument. This study obtained a nursing instrument to assess TURP syndrome which involved 15 aspects as follows: disorientation, headaches, altered states of consciousness, visual disturbances, nausea and vomiting, hypertension, rhonchi sound, tachycardia, abnormal capillary refill‐time, tachypnea, hyponatremia, hyperkalemia, anaemia, increased urea and creatinine, and lower‐extremities oedema. A nursing instrument to assess TURP syndrome was established. Nevertheless, further investigation is required among patients who are suspected of having TURP syndrome to increase instrument accuracy.     

Continuing nursing education: a perspective

This article takes a renewed look at continuing education (CE) within the discipline of nursing. Increasing complexity in the personal, professional, and social environments in which nursing is practiced, as well as changes in the present educational foundation of nurses all signal a need for a broader, more comprehensive concept of the content and process of CE. The continuing professional learning process (CPLP) is presented as a beginning attempt to view nursing CE from a more comprehensive perspective. The CPLP is a multifaceted, helical, on-going process of learning, patterned and directed by the learner. The CPLP, which incorporates the multiple contexts of nursing and nursing practice, and which may encompass learning of an informal, formal, or academic nature, has as its end the enhancement of the professional and the profession.     

Reflections on a study tour to explore history taking and physical assessment education

In 2005 a study tour, funded by a Florence Nightingale Foundation Travel Scholarship, was undertaken by the author to gain insight into the teaching of 'History Taking and Physical Assessment' (HTPA) across different countries of the UK and beyond. The study tour was inspired by recent developments in health professional practice, which increasingly require nurses and other health care professionals to undertake the skills of history taking, inspection, palpation, percussion and auscultation. The study tour visit included 16 Universities across the UK, Eire, Canada and the United States. Insights were gained into similarities and differences in the content and structure of HTPA courses across the centres visited, with valuable observations in respect of mental health assessment and optimal session ordering. Insights into modes of delivery reinforced perceptions regarding the value of theory, demonstration and small group supervised practice, and highlighted interesting issues for debate in respect of course text options, videotaped demonstrations, electronic learning support programmes and use of mannequins. Consideration of assessment issues focused in particular on the value and design of Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) as a core mode of assessment. Wider insights gained in relation to HTPA included suggestions of the need for its cautious use in preregistration education. There is also debate regarding the teaching of HTPA within advanced practitioner preparation. Throughout the report, current and planned changes to local practice inspired by the study tour and underpinning literature are identified, alongside several recommendations for further research.     

Using interactive video technology in nursing education: a pilot study

A pilot study was conducted to analyze the benefits of using interactive technology with external assessors and graduating senior nursing students during Senior Nurse Leadership Assessment Day at the University of Central Missouri. The primary aim was to determine whether videoconferencing technology would promote recruitment and retention of professional nurse external assessors without compromising student learning. Among the issues discussed are the advantages and disadvantages of using interactive videoconferencing technology in education and the influence of external assessors in nursing education. The study results indicate that interactive videoconferencing is an effective, accepted format for educational opportunities such as Senior Nurse Leadership Assessment Day, based on the lived experiences of the study participants. In addition, the results demonstrate that interactive videoconferencing does not compromise student learning or assessment by external assessors.     

Continuing education in nursing: a concept analysis

The importance of continuing education for nurses has been increasingly emphasized in the nursing literature since the beginning of the profession. The concept of continuing education is often used as a substitute for associated terms such as continuing professional development and lifelong learning, thus highlighting a need for its clarification. The purpose of this article is to explain and describe continuing education, in order to encourage a broader understanding of the concept among nurses. The concept analysis is directed by Rodgers' [Rodgers, B.L., 1989. Concept analysis and the development of nursing knowledge: the evolutionary cycle. Journal of Advanced Nursing 14, 330-335] 'evolutionary approach' which is viewed as an ongoing dynamic process, and one that identifies the shared meaning of concepts. Examining everyday discourse used in the nursing literature identified the critical attributes, antecedents and consequence of continuing education in nursing. As a result, the emerging attributes of the concept are synthesised into a conceptual model. The article concludes with an exploration of the application of the concept of continuing education within nursing and its implications for professional development.     

Continuing education. Nurses' responses to PREP: a short study.

Nurses attending information sessions on the UKCC's Post-registration Education and Practice Project were given questionnaires seeking their opinions on the clauses of the proposals. The results showed enthusiasm for the initiative among those nurses, midwives and health visitors who took part, but reservations about how the recommendations could be put into practice. The implications of the introduction of the measures for a future educational strategy are outlined.     

Continuing education for nurses in the clinical management of autism spectrum disorders: results of a pilot evaluation

The prevalence of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) is 1 in 110 in the United States. Nurses encounter patients with ASDs across practice settings. This article describes the results of an evaluation research pilot that assessed the perceived value to nurses of a continuing education program on comprehensive care of people with ASDs. Two 2-day workshops were offered in 2010. Of the 37 participants, 92% were female; 35% worked in pediatrics, 35% worked in adult care, and 30% were administrators; and 33% had practiced for 11 years or more. Six months after the course, 74% shared information with their employers and 94% shared information with coworkers. Although 77% incorporated learning into practice, 23% reported that they had not yet had the opportunity to do so. All participants valued the course content. Future programs can target audiences in specific service areas or those who work with specific populations. This pilot provided useful feedback on the nursing care of people with ASDs that is relevant to a variety of potential audiences. Continuing education programs can target sponsors, donors, client groups, administrators, and staff as they prepare to care for patients with ASDs.     

Exploring critical thinking in critical care nursing education: a pilot study

BACKGROUND: Critical care nurses process vast amounts of information and require well developed critical-thinking skills to make clinical decisions. METHOD: Using a pretest posttest design, the critical-thinking skills of 31 postgraduate nurses were evaluated using the California Critical Thinking Skills Test (CCTST). RESULTS: For the total group, mean critical-thinking scores improved slightly over time. The CCTST revealed a mean pretest score of 18.5 and a mean posttest score of 19.7, both of which were higher than the established norms for the test. Overall, no significant difference was observed between pretest and posttest. However, statistical significance was observed posttest for nurses whose critical-thinking scores improved (p < .000). CONCLUSION: Despite the small sample, the majority of the postgraduate nurses improved their critical-thinking skills during the course of their study.