A surgical services learning needs assessment

Staff development educators are challenged to meet the learning needs of a variety of subspecialties within surgical services departments. A formal learning needs assessment survey, based on the individual self-fulfillment model, provides a means to identify the educational needs of staff members. Using questionnaires constructed for various types of staff members within a surgical services department, the author assessed staff members' clinical, interpersonal, and sociopolitical learning needs. The response rate was 56%, and the identified needs were legal issues, research, equipment (eg, ultrasonic aspirators, pressure monitors), and procedures (eg, cerebral aneurysm repairs, arteriovenous malformation corrections). Limitations included self-identification of needs and a low response rate from one subspecialty; however, the author concludes that the survey format provides an effective means of identifying staff members' learning needs.