Assessment of a continuing education evaluation framework

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Healthcare Professional Development
• Program Evaluation

Background:

• Continuing education (CE) is crucial for healthcare professionals to maintain and update their knowledge and skills.
• Evaluating the effectiveness of CE programs is essential to ensure they meet learner needs and improve patient care.
• Holzemer's conceptual framework provides a structure for evaluating CE by considering the learner, setting, and program.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze a systems model for evaluating continuing education (CE) programs.
• To report the results of a quasi-experimental study evaluating a stoma care CE program.
• To assess the impact of the CE program on participants' knowledge, skills, and satisfaction.

Main Methods:

• A quasi-experimental design was employed with an experimental group (n=24) and a control group (n=27).
• Pre- and post-tests were administered to evaluate changes in stoma care knowledge and skills.
• Participant satisfaction was surveyed at multiple time points: during the course, upon completion, and four months post-course.

Main Results:

• No significant differences were found in knowledge or skills between the experimental and control groups.
• Participant satisfaction with the stoma care CE program was assessed.
• The study identified areas for framework revision, including needs assessment and patient care impact.

Conclusions:

• The evaluated stoma care continuing education program did not demonstrate a significant impact on participant knowledge or skills.
• The study highlights the importance of incorporating needs assessment and patient care outcomes into CE program evaluation frameworks.
• Further research is needed to refine CE evaluation models and demonstrate their effectiveness in improving clinical practice.