Comparing nurses' knowledge retention following electronic continuous education and educational booklet: a controlled...

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Medical Informatics
• Continuing Professional Development

Background:

• Effective nurse training is crucial for enhancing patient care quality.
• This study evaluated electronic learning versus educational booklets for nurses' retention of diabetes knowledge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the effectiveness of electronic learning and educational booklets on nurses' knowledge retention regarding diabetes updates.
• To assess the long-term impact of different educational interventions on healthcare professionals' knowledge.

Main Methods:

• A controlled trial involved 123 nurses from endocrinology and internal medicine wards, assigned to electronic learning, booklet, or control groups.
• Nurses' knowledge was assessed pre-intervention and at one and four weeks post-intervention using questionnaires.
• Electronic learning utilized a continuous medical education (CME) website, while the booklet group received a printed educational resource.

Main Results:

• Significant differences in mean knowledge scores were found between groups at one and four weeks post-intervention (p<0.05).
• The electronic learning group demonstrated significantly higher knowledge retention scores compared to the booklet and control groups.
• Both electronic learning and booklet interventions effectively improved nurses' knowledge levels (p<0.001).

Conclusions:

• Electronic learning is superior to educational booklets for enhancing nurses' knowledge retention of diabetes updates.
• The interactive and engaging nature of electronic learning platforms promotes better knowledge acquisition and long-term retention.
• Digital educational interventions are recommended for continuous professional development in nursing to improve healthcare quality.