Evaluating the impact of a cardiac module for post-registration nurses

To discover whether nursing students believed that a post-registration cardiac module was meeting their needs.

A descriptive qualitative approach was used in this study. Semi-structured interviews were recorded with a purposive sample of six registered nurses who had previously completed a cardiac module.

Five core themes were identified: the value of the module, being a student, thinking about practice, improving delivery of care and role expansion.

The study explored the extent to which a cardiac module developed the nurses' confidence, skills and knowledge in the context of their ongoing careers. The findings were generally positive because the nurses recognised the benefits for their practice and personal development.