title: Comparing nurses' knowledge retention following electronic continuous education and educational booklet: a controlled trial study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Training methods that enhance nurses' learning and retention will increase the quality of patient care. This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of electronic learning and educational booklet on the nurses' retention of diabetes updates.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this controlled trial study, convenience sampling was used to select 123 nurses from the endocrinology and internal medicine wards of three hospitals affiliated to Tehran University of Medical Sciences (Tehran, Iran). The participants were allocated to three groups of manual, electronic learning, and control. The booklet and electronic learning groups were trained using educational booklet and electronic continuous medical education (CME) website, respectively. The control group did not receive any intervention. In all the three groups, the nurses' knowledge was measured before the intervention, and one and four weeks after the intervention. Data were collected by a questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significant differences were observed between the mean scores of the three groups one and four weeks after the intervention (F=26.17, p=0.001 and F=4.07, p=0.020, respectively), and post hoc test showed that this difference was due to the higher score in e-learning group. Both e-learning and booklet methods could effectively improve nurses' knowledge (χ²=23.03, p=0.001 and χ²=51.71, p=0.001, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  According to the results of this study, electronic learning was more effective than booklet in enhancing the learning and retention of knowledge. Electronic learning is suggested as a more suitable method as it provides appropriate interactions and attractive virtual environments to motivate the learners and promote retention.
authors: MSc in Nursing, Master's Student in School of Nursing and Midwifery, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. m-badiei@razi.tums.ac.ir.
authors: Mahmud
authors: M
authors: Badiei
authors: MSN, PhD in Distance Education Planning, Instructor, Virtual School, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. gharibmi@sina.tums.ac.ir.
authors: Mitra
authors: M
authors: Gharib
authors: MSN, PhD in Distance Education Planning, Assistant Professor, Virtual School, Member of Nursing and Midwifery Care Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. zolfaghm@tums.ac.ir.
authors: Mitra
authors: M
authors: Zolfaghari
authors: MD, PhD in Distance Education Planning, Assistant Professor, Virtual School, Center of Excellence for E-learning in Medical Education, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. r_mojtahedzadeh@tums.ac.ir.
authors: Rita
authors: R
authors: Mojtahedzadeh
keywords: Booklet; Continuing Medical Education; Distance Education; Knowledge; Nursing Care