[CE credits and nursing personnel: a survey in Torino hospitals]

After the implementation of the law on Continuing Education in Medicine (ECM) at the beginning of 2002, the nurses must gain 150 continuing education credits in 5 years. The credits are assigned by a central committee and reflect the time spent and the quality of the course. The aim of this survey was to explore if the nurses are aware of this law, if they attend to continuing education initiatives (CEI) and the number of credits gained. The data were collected with a questionnaire distributed in 13 hospitals to 10 nurses working in each different area: medicine, surgery, emergency services, home care etc. Six hundred eighty five questionnaires were returned and 11.3% nurses (78) did not participate to any CEI during the year 2002, mainly for financial of family problems. Most CEI (39.3%) were attended to during the last three months of the year; only 8% of the nurses gained 5 or less credits (the minimum to be obtained in one year). The hospital organizes and finances the costs of 892 CEI (61%) and 70% of the CEI are attended during working hours. The survey highlights the investment of the NHS hospitals of Torino area in CEIs for the nursing personnel. And the effect of the ECM on the participation to CEIs.