IMPACT EVALUATION: A STUDY OF CONTINUING EDUCATION FOR NURSING MANAGERS.
Contributors: Columbia University. Teachers College.
Published: 1984
Number of pages: 190
Subjects: Education, Adult and Continuing.; Health Sciences, Nursing.
Description: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a continuing educaton program in nursing management by measuring change in perceptions and management practice of 32 Head Nurses and the impact of these changes on a randomly selected sample of 43 Staff Nurses, representing the total Staff Nurse population.

The methods included formative, summative and impact evaluation techniques. There were two parts to the study. (Part I). Likert's Profile of Organizational Characteristics Survey was given to all participating Head Nurses and Staff Nurses before and after a 5 one-day Management Workshop Program for the Head Nurses. Likert's Characteristics represented management constructs/indicators. Five additional survey items on decision quality measured Staff Nurse perceptions of change. (Part II). Change in performance and perception of six Head Nurses who voluntarily participated in a 10 hour Decision Making Learning Module was assessed, as was the impact of these changes on 13 related Staff Nurses. Control groups were constituted with non-module related Head Nurses and Staff Nurses. Module Head Nurses were pre/post tested through Structured Interviews and In-Basket Tests. Likert data statistically compared Module and non-Module groups.

The results revealed: (Part I) No statistically significant changes in either Head Nurses or Staff Nurses as a result of the Workshop Program. (Part II) Module Head Nurses demonstrated change significant at the .01 level in Likert's Characteristics. Interview and In-Basket Test scores increased. There was no significant change in the Module-related Staff Nurses. Since Likert stresses time as an important variable in changes, a third survey was conducted nine months later and revealed continuing change in the Module Head Nurses, little change in either Control Group, and definite upward trends in the Module-related Staff Nurses (although not yet statistically significant).

The conclusions were that the Wrokshop Program had little influence on the Head Nurse perceptions/management practice and no impact on Staff Nurses. The Module Program influenced Head Nurse perceptions and performance and had begun to impact Staff Nurse perceptions. Therefore, change accompanied by impact, is more likely to occur through self-selected, relevant, problem-focused learning activities, but time is required to demonstrate results.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 45-08, Section: A, page: 2356.

Thesis (ED.D.)--COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY TEACHERS COLLEGE, 1984.

School code: 0055.