title: [Critical care nurse learning of continuous renal replacement therapy: the efficacy of a self-learning manual].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Many nurses have difficulty learning to use the complex, non-traditional, and regularly-updated critical care equipment. Failure to use such equipment properly can seriously compromise treatment and endanger patient health and lives. New self-learning materials for novice nurses are necessary to provide essential and effective guidance as a part of formal nursing training. Such materials can enhance the capabilities of critical care nurses and, thus, improve the general quality of critical care.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this research was to develop a continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT)-themed self-learning manual that would provide easily absorbed and understood knowledge in an easy-to-carry format for ICU nursing staff. This study also investigated CCRT skill learning efficacy.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study adopted a quasi-experimental design with pretests and posttests. Purposive sampling generated a sample of 66 critical care nurses currently working at one hospital in Taipei City. Participants submitted a completed self-assessment survey that rated their command of continuous renal replacement therapy before and after the self-learning manual intervention. Survey data were analyzed using SPSS Version 17.0 for Windows.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The two major findings derived from the study included: (1) The mean response score from the self-assessment survey filled out after the intervention was 91.06 and 79.75 (SD = 9.49 and 11.65), respectively, for experimental and control groups. Such demonstrated significant difference. (2) The mean posttest score after the intervention for the experimental group was 91.06 ± 9.49. This represents a significant increase of 10.35 ± 10.35 over their mean pretest score (80.71 ± 11.82). The experimental group showed other significant differences in terms of the CRRT self-assessment survey posttest.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Self-learning manuals may be introduced in nursing education as useful aids and catalysts to achieve more effective and satisfying learning experiences.
authors.affiliation: Graduate Institute of Health Allied Education, National Taipei University of Nursing and Health Sciences, ROC.
authors.forename: Yi-Chen
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Li-Ling
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Hsu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003422:Critical Care; D004506:Education, Nursing; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning; D008297:Male; D009726:Nurses; D017582:Renal Replacement Therapy / Q000451:nursing*; D012647:Self-Assessment