An innovative solution to assessing staff learning needs

Traditional needs assessments for continuing education reflect personal interests and perceptions of learning needs rather than actual knowledge deficits. With an influx of new staff in a rapidly expanding neonatal ICU, time constraints made it imperative to accurately assess the learning needs of the novice practitioner. A needs assessment tool, developed by the unit-based education committee, identified gaps in knowledge among NICU staff. The questionnaire consisted of direct questions covering aspects of clinical and professional issues in neonatal care. The respondents were asked to indicate their ability to answer the questions completely, partially, or not at all. The questions were categorized according to patient populations and professional issues, thereby providing curriculum for continuing education specific to identified learning needs.