Assessing the impact of staff development on nursing practice

Area of Science:

• Geriatric Nursing
• Nursing Education
• Healthcare Professional Development

Background:

• Geriatric nursing requires specialized knowledge and skills to effectively care for the aging population.
• Continuous education is crucial for updating nursing staff on best practices in gerontology.
• Assessing the impact of targeted educational interventions is vital for improving geriatric care quality.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of a geriatric nursing education workshop on nursing staff competency.
• To determine the impact of the workshop on nurses' knowledge, assessment skills, and documentation abilities.
• To assess the workshop's influence on collaborative practice, role ambiguity, and job satisfaction among nursing staff.

Main Methods:

• Intervention and comparison group research design.
• Pretest and posttest measures administered to assess changes in competency.
• Quantitative analysis of data collected from 43 participating nurses.

Main Results:

• Workshop participation significantly increased nurses' knowledge of gerontologic issues.
• Nurses demonstrated improved abilities in patient assessment, care planning, and documentation post-workshop.
• No significant impact was observed on collaborative practice, role ambiguity, or job satisfaction.

Conclusions:

• Geriatric nursing education workshops are effective in enhancing specific nursing competencies.
• Targeted training can improve knowledge and practical skills in geriatric care, particularly in assessment and documentation.
• Further research may be needed to explore interventions that positively influence collaborative practice and job satisfaction in geriatric nursing.