title: Critical care nurses: professional development in the private sector.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to gain a greater understanding of the experiences and perceptions of private hospital critical care nurses regarding critical care education delivery. It addressed the question of whether rural private hospital critical care nurses have different experiences and perceptions of critical care education delivery than metropolitan private hospital critical care nurses, and the implication these differences may have for the providers of continuing professional education for critical care nurses. The study used a phenomenographic approach to identify participants' common sense conceptions of their experiences and perceptions of critical care education delivery. A focus group session was held at a rural private hospital and a metropolitan private hospital, where interviewees were encouraged to reflect on previously unthematised aspects of the phenomenon in question. In addition, questionnaires were distributed to critical care staff in each unit and interviews were held with key stakeholders. Nineteen nurses participated in the study, providing a cross section of the experiences and qualifications present within these units. A number of issues were identified from the data, namely the need for clinical educators within critical care units to support students undertaking critical care courses and the desire for a move back to hospital based courses supported by the tertiary system. Education providers need to look closely at the issues of access, cost and organisation of courses to make them more appealing and relevant for both rural and metropolitan critical care nurses.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences, Victoria University, St Albans, VIC.
authors.forename: Tanya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Field
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003422:Critical Care; D003479:Curriculum / Q000592:standards; D004509:Education, Nursing, Continuing / Q000592:standards*; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D016304:Hospitals, Private; D006780:Hospitals, Rural; D006786:Hospitals, Urban; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020380:Needs Assessment; D015402:Nursing Education Research; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000193:education* / Q000523:psychology*; D017149:Private Sector; D011361:Professional Competence / Q000592:standards; D013041:Specialties, Nursing / Q000193:education*; D013192:Staff Development / Q000592:standards*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013648:Tasmania