Surveying hospital nurses to discover educational needs and preferences

The author investigated the educational needs of nurses in an American Nurses Credentialing Center Magnet hospital to determine topics of interest, instruction time and delivery preferences, and interest in a research information skills certificate provided by the library.

A 9-question survey was distributed to 1,500 nursing staff of the hospital through email.

Surveys were completed by 865 respondents, which represented a response rate of 58%. The majority of respondents were registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, and paramedics (81%), and day-shift workers (65%). For education topics, nursing staff placed the highest priority on finding health-related mobile apps for professionals and developing evidence-based research skills. For mode of delivery, respondents expressed a preference for unit-based in-service, computer-based tutorials, and hands-on computer training. Most (70%) respondents expressed an interest in participating in a research information skills certificate program.

Our survey results reveal an avenue for reinvigorating and updating the library's educational program to match the needs of nursing staff and may offer valuable insight for other libraries seeking to do the same.