Personal accounts of satisfying and unsatisfying nursing experiences as a needs assessment strategy

This article describes the assessment process by which learning needs of a select group of nurses in a forensic psychiatric setting were identified and used for continuing education (CE) program planning. To determine whether a gap existed between what the nurses currently knew and what they needed to know in order to have a sense of accomplishment, their personal accounts of satisfying and unsatisfying nursing experiences were analyzed. The factors that influenced these experiences were categorized according to a theory of basic human needs, and learning needs were identified from those categories. Implications for the planning of content and methodology of CE programs for the study group were then developed.