A qualitative study of continuing education needs of rural nursing unit staff: the nurse administrator's perspective.
BACKGROUND
This study reports perceptions of the continuing education (CE) needs of nursing unit staff in 40 rural healthcare facilities (10 hospitals and 30 long-term care facilities) in a rural Midwestern U.S. region from the perspective of nurse administrators in an effort to promote a community-based academic-practice CE partnership.


METHODS
Qualitative data collection involving naturalistic inquiry methodology was based on key informant interviews with nurse administrators (n=40) working and leading in the participating health care facilities.


RESULTS
Major themes based on nurse administrators' perceptions of CE needs of nursing unit staff were in four broad conceptual areas: "Cultural issues", "clinical nursing skills", "patient care", and "patient safety". Major sub-themes for each conceptual area are highlighted and discussed with narrative content as expressed by the participants. Related cultural sub-themes expressed by the nurse administrators included "horizontal violence" (workplace-hospital and LTC nursing unit staff) and "domestic violence" (home-LTC nursing unit staff).


CONCLUSIONS
The uniqueness of nurses' developmental learning needs from a situational point of view can be equally as important as knowledge-based and/or skill-based learning needs. Psychological self-reflection is discussed and recommended as a guiding concept to promote the development and delivery of relevant, empowering and evidence-based CE offerings for rural nursing unit staff.
Indiana State University, College of Nursing, Health, and Human Services, Terre Haute, IN 47807, USA. roseanne.fairchild@indstate.edu
Roseanne Moody
RM
Fairchild
Marcee
M
Everly
Lisa
L
Bozarth
Renee
R
Bauer
Linda
L
Walters
Marilyn
M
Sample
Louise
L
Anderson
D003159:Community-Institutional Relations; D004509:Education, Nursing, Continuing; D006801:Humans; D015146:Midwestern United States; D033262:Narration; D020380:Needs Assessment; D009718:Nurse Administrators; D036301:Qualitative Research; D064694:Rural Nursing / Q000193:education*