A DESCRIPTIVE STUDY OF SELECTED FACTORS WHICH INFLUENCE THE APPLICATION BY REGISTERED NURSES OF EMPLOYEE EDUCATION IN THE HOSPITAL PRACTICE SETTING.
Contributors: University of Connecticut.
Published: 1987
Number of pages: 175
Subjects: Education, Adult and Continuing.; Health Sciences, Nursing.
Description: This study describes the process which surrounds employee education of registered nurses. Employee education was defined as staff development and continuing education programs. Variables of communication, adults as learners and change process as related to employee education were explored.

The problem of "how much" and "how" new learning from employee education programs was transferred to the hospital practice setting of registered nurses was explored using a qualitative research design. Data collection triangulated methods and sources. Sources were: the nurse who attended the employee education program, immediate supervisor of that nurse and a member of the same work group. These three nurses formed eleven triads from eight hospitals. Methods included: non-participant observations, interviews with each triad member, and review of pertinent documents. Data were analyzed by the constant comparative technique with three conceptual categories defined and research questions answered.

Two causal categories emerged: "professional role behavior" held by triad members regarding professional autonomy and responsibility for own learning, and "belief that education equals knowledge equals competence". One process category, the learning episode was identified. Research question findings include: (1) Minimal communication occurs between nurse participant and supervisor which results in a lack of mutually understood expectations and objectively defined outcome criteria. (2) In most triads, the nurse participant assesses own learning need/interest and selects a program. (3) Not all nurse participants are able to translate their interest into behavioral practice goals or to identify ramifications beyond own clinical practice. (4) Nurse participants value programs which meet their own objectives, primarily knowledge based. Supervisory value is attached to amount of knowledge disseminated to their employees. (5) Expectations and rewards within hospitals are based on presentation and knowledge acquisition rather than on application and behavior change. (6) Decentralized departments of nursing make resource identification and utilization difficult.

Without commonly understood expectations for practice and objective behavior change criteria, behavior change is subjectively evaluated. Although the findings indicate some behavior change had occurred in each total triad, sometimes minimal, program potential is not fully utilized and employee education efficacy could not be determined. Action plans and proposed future research are discussed.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 48-11, Section: A, page: 2791.

Thesis (PH.D.)--THE UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT, 1987.

School code: 0056.