Nurses' acquisition and retention of knowledge after trauma training

The Advanced Trauma Nursing Course (ATNC) aims to equip nurses with the appropriate knowledge in order to skilfully care for the trauma patient. In this study, knowledge gained from the course, and its subsequent retention, was used as a measure of the course's effectiveness. Fourteen nurses participated in the study. The ATNC short answer papers were used to assess knowledge levels of the participants at four separate stages. Statistical analysis demonstrated a highly significant change (p<0.001) in the knowledge levels of ATNC participants following attendance on the course. However, three months after the ATNC knowledge levels appeared not to be statistically significantly different from pre-course levels, which suggested that retention of knowledge was poor. The findings of this study highlight the importance of continuous professional development and, in particular, the need to implement local initiatives aimed at improving the retention of knowledge gained by ATNC participants.