Effect of Continuing Education: Do Attendees Implement the Tools That Are Taught?
Authors: Tarnow Karen , Gambino Mary L. , Ford Debra J. 
Published: July 2013

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Instructions: 1.2
contact hours will be awarded by Villanova University College of Nursing upon successful completion of this activity. A contact hour is a unit of measurement that denotes 60 minutes of an organized learning activity. This is a learner-based activity. Villanova University College of Nursing does not require submission of your answers to the quiz.

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In order to obtain contact hours you must:

1.
Read the article, “Effect of Continuing Education: Do Attendees Implement the Tools That Are Taught?,” found on pages 391–396, carefully noting any tables and other illustrative materials that are included to enhance your knowledge and understanding of the content. Be sure to keep track of the amount of time (number of minutes) you spend reading the article and completing the quiz.

2.
Read and answer each question on the quiz. After completing all of the questions, compare your answers to those provided within this issue. If you have incorrect answers, return to the article for further study.

3.
Go to the Villanova website to register for contact hour credit. You will be asked to provide your name, contact information, and a VISA, MasterCard, or Discover card number for payment of the $20.00 fee. Once you complete the online evaluation, a certificate will be automatically generated.

This activity is valid for continuing education credit until
August 31, 2015.

Contact Hours
This activity is co-provided by Villanova University College of Nursing and SLACK Incorporated.
Villanova University College of Nursing is accredited as a provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.

Objectives

Describe three methods for assessing participant understanding during a workshop.

Identify barriers and aids to implementing practice change following a continuing education workshop that were described in this pilot study.

Disclosure Statement
Neither the planners nor the authors have any conflicts of interest to disclose.

Background:
Educators are being challenged to show how participants implement in practice the objectives and outcomes of what they learn in professional development activities. Continuing education (CE) departments are being called on to document that the offerings are making a difference in practice. Participants described efforts to implement mindfulness processes after a CE workshop on managing the unexpected.

Methods:
A mixed-methods approach was used. Qualitative and quantitative data were used to assess whether participants implemented mindfulness practices that they learned during a CE workshop. This pilot study used an e-mail survey and focused interviews.

Results:
Participants self-assessed the use of practices taught at a CE workshop and identified barriers and aids to implementing practice change. Focused interviews elicited examples and provided more information about the barriers and facilitators of change that can assist with future program planning.

Conclusion:
CE can change practice in health care organizations. Additional research is needed to document best practices in CE to effect change in practice.

J Contin Educ Nurs
2013;44(9):391–396.