Competency and educational requirements: perspective of the rural emergency nurse.
BACKGROUND
Continuing education has been associated with maintaining clinical competency for nurses. Despite this information, the availability, time, and financial support to attend continuing educational programs challenge the ability to develop, provide, or attend such programs. Before the development of methods to provide continuing educational programs to nurses working in rurally located emergency departments, a survey was developed to capture the perspective of these nurses.


METHODS
An investigator-developed survey was administered to emergency nurses working within an emergency department located in a rural Midwestern state. Consent was implied upon return of the survey, and response to the survey was voluntary, in accordance with our institutional review board's policy.


RESULTS
Data were obtained from 33 nurses, representing 3 different rurally located ED settings. The perceptions of the participants of this study are that maintaining clinical competency is important and that ongoing continuing education should be mandatory.


CONCLUSIONS
These data indicate that emergency nurses in rural areas are willing to participate in ongoing education and that maintaining clinical competency is valued. Using evidence-based data to develop continuing educational programs increases the potential for the programs to be appropriate and valued and more likely to be attended by these nurses.
BSN Completion Program, School of Nursing, University of Missouri-Kansas City, Kansas City, MO, USA. tfcnpb@mail.umkc.edu
Terri
T
Bolin
Deborah
D
Peck
Cindy
C
Moore
Peggy
P
Ward-Smith
D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002983:Clinical Competence; D004509:Education, Nursing, Continuing / Q000458:organization & administration*; D016529:Emergency Nursing / Q000193:education* / Q000458:organization & administration; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D005260:Female; D006780:Hospitals, Rural; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015146:Midwestern United States; D020380:Needs Assessment / Q000458:organization & administration; D024802:Nurse's Role / Q000523:psychology; D015402:Nursing Education Research; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires