title: The workshop as an effective method of dissemination: the importance of the needs of the individual.
abstract: The workshop is one of a number of strategies that can be used to disseminate information. This study set out to evaluate the effectiveness of the workshop as a method of disseminating information which had as its aim the introduction of new practices. A series of workshops, attended by G and H grade nurses, were carried out in a large teaching Hospital in England. The information which was disseminated concerned recruitment and retention activities for nurses which had been proposed in recent government documents, in particular in the Strategy for Nursing in England 'Making a Difference' by the UK Department of Health. Two sample groups of 25 nurses (workshop attendees and non-attendees) were interviewed. The interviews took place shortly after the workshops and were repeated 7 months later. The first set of interviews explored the nurses' intention to implement changes in their clinical areas and the second set of interviews identified actual change. The findings from the study suggests that the workshops were an effective means of producing changes in practice. However, the interviews also identified the value of personal engagement, especially in relation to meeting individual human needs, which were facilitated through the workshop. These emotions appeared to have an influence on the success of the nurses in implementing change and it is proposed that these outcomes should be considered when determining the benefits of a dissemination strategy.
authors.affiliation: City Hospital, Nottingham, UK.
authors.forename: Judith
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tanner
authors.forename: Claire
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hale
mesh_terms: D004493:Education; D004506:Education, Nursing / Q000379:methods*; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006801:Humans; D007255:Information Services; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D009726:Nurses / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D010560:Personnel Selection / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012494:Sampling Studies; D006113:United Kingdom