A longitudinal assessment of factors affecting training transfer among new clinical nurse specialists

This study aimed to explore the determinants influencing training transfer and evaluate how those factors change over time among nurses who graduated from clinical nurse specialist training to provide a theoretical basis for improving the training transfer of clinical nurse specialists (CNSs).

A quantitative longitudinal survey with four rounds of data collection was utilized to measure the influencing aspects of training transfer from June 2018 to December 2019. A total of 46 new CNSs participated in this study, including 30 and 16 nurses receiving training programs for CNSs in Infusion, Wound and Ostomy. The factor influencing training transfer (FITT) questionnaire was used to collect data for the first month (time 1), the third month (time 2), the sixth month (time 3), and the first year (time 4) after training. This questionnaire contains 53 items divided into five dimensions, including managerial support (20 items); hindrance in the organization (6 items); the validity of the training program (10 items); organizational and personal facilitators (11 items); and personal attitudes towards training transfer (6 items).

The influencing factors of CNSs transfer decreased over time, with managerial support, hindrance in the organization, the validity of the training program, and personal attitudes towards training transfer changing statistically over time (P < 0.05), and no statistical difference in organizational and personal facilitators over time (P = 0.229). During early after training (the first month and the third month after training), hindrance in the organization is the biggest obstacle to training transfer. During the later of training (the sixth month and first year after the training), managerial support is the biggest obstacle to training transfer. Overall level of influencing factors of training transfer decreased in three months after training among Infusion nurses (P < 0.001), and Wound and Ostomy nurses decreased in the first year after training (P < 0.001).

The trend and level of training transfer predictors decreased depending on time. Clarifying the factors influencing transfer and its patterns may help nursing managers enhance the implementation and impact of nurse specialist training.