Evaluation of staff development services in extended care facilities

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Education
• Organizational Development

Background:

• Staff development departments in extended care facilities are crucial for maintaining high-quality patient care.
• Inservice education programs are a primary method for staff training and skill enhancement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the current use of educational services and inservice programs within a corporation of extended care facilities.
• To assess the extent to which evaluation tools are employed in these educational initiatives.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive survey research design was implemented.
• All facilities within the corporation were queried regarding their inservice programs and evaluation practices.
• A 100% response rate was achieved, ensuring complete data collection.

Main Results:

• A significant gap exists in the formal evaluation of inservice education programs.
• 72% of inservice education programs offered lacked any form of evaluation instrument.
• Current practices indicate a lack of standardized evaluation methods across facilities.

Conclusions:

• There is a clear and urgent need for the implementation of comprehensive and consistent program evaluation strategies.
• Learner evaluation is also underdeveloped, suggesting a need for methods to assess the impact of training on staff performance.
• Standardized evaluation protocols are essential for improving the effectiveness of staff development in extended care settings.