The effect of education on nurses' assessments in an epilepsy monitoring unit

There are few data about the quality of nursing care on an epilepsy monitoring unit. This study evaluated the impact of an educational program on the quality of care provided by nurses in an epilepsy monitoring unit (EMU) using an investigator-developed assessment tool.

There were two objectives for this study. The first objective was to measure nurses' assessments of patients on the EMU in a quantifiable form. The second objective was to evaluate the effectiveness of an educational program on the scores of the Nursing Assessment Rating Scale.

Twenty-five nurses working in the EMU participated in the study.

Nurses' assessments were quantified using a criterion-based rating scale with seven primary quality indicators. Prior to the educational program, the mean scores on the rating scale were 14.5 points (SD 2.1). Post education, there was a statistical difference in scores (mean 16, SD 1.6, p<.01).

The Nurse Assessment Rating Scale enabled the researchers to transform a qualitative measure of assessment into a quantitative indicator that could be compared pre- and post-education. Second, data indicated that the education significantly improved the assessment scores. With education, original protocols were reinforced and assessments became more consistent resulting in improved scores. Third, using a multimodal education format targeted aspects of performance such as respect and compassion.