Critical care education. A consortium approach

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Healthcare Administration

Background:

• Increasing demand for economical staff development models in healthcare.
• Need for accessible and effective critical care training for nurses.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a collaborative model for delivering a basic critical care course.
• To identify benefits for learners and educators.
• To analyze cost-effectiveness compared to traditional methods.

Main Methods:

• Formation of a nurse educators' consortium in northern New Jersey.
• Collaborative organization and presentation of a basic critical care course.
• Comparative cost analysis of the collaborative model versus traditional approaches.

Main Results:

• Successful collaborative delivery of a basic critical care course.
• Identified benefits for both nursing students and educators.
• Demonstrated significant cost savings for participating hospitals.

Conclusions:

• Collaborative educational models can be economical and effective for staff development.
• Shared resources and expertise enhance training quality and reduce costs.
• This approach provides a viable alternative to traditional, more expensive educational programs.