A CQI approach to evaluating continuing education: processes and outcomes

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Quality Improvement
• Healthcare Education

Background:

• Traditional evaluations of continuing nursing education (CNE) often rely on immediate post-session feedback or knowledge testing.
• These methods may not fully capture the effectiveness or impact of educational interventions on practice.
• There is a need for more robust evaluation strategies in CNE.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and explore the application of a continuous quality improvement (CQI) framework for evaluating continuing nursing education.
• To demonstrate an alternative to traditional CNE evaluation methods using CQI principles.
• To highlight the benefits of CQI for assessing CNE processes and outcomes.

Main Methods:

• The study proposes a CQI framework, incorporating statistical process control tools.
• The framework focuses on evaluating both the processes and outcomes of CNE activities.
• An implementation example is presented to illustrate the practical application of the CQI approach.

Main Results:

• The CQI framework provides a systematic approach to monitoring and improving CNE.
• Statistical process control tools enable data-driven assessment of educational effectiveness.
• The implementation example showcases the value of this alternative evaluation strategy.

Conclusions:

• A continuous quality improvement framework offers a valuable alternative for evaluating continuing nursing education.
• This approach allows for ongoing assessment of both CNE processes and outcomes.
• Nurse educators can utilize CQI to enhance the quality and impact of their educational offerings.