title: Teaching peritoneal dialysis in Australia: An opportunity for improvement.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Up to a 10-fold difference in clinical outcomes between Australian peritoneal dialysis (PD) units exists. There is an international focus on the harmonization of educational practices in PD to determine whether this may lead to improved patient outcomes.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this paper is to evaluate the current teaching practices of nurses and patients in Australian PD units.
  
  
  METHODS
  An online survey with questions on nurse and patient training was made available to PD units in Australia.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirty-eight (70%) of 54 PD units in Australia completed the survey. A written standardized curricula was utilized in 21 units (55%) for nursing staff and 30 units (79%) for patients, with 23% and 12% including an electronic delivery component for each group, respectively. Universal teaching of adult learning principles was not demonstrated. The hours spent on teaching nursing staff ranged from <15 h in 24% to >100 h in 21% of units. The average number of hours spent by nurses each day to train patients ranged from <2 h in 14% to >6 h in 11% of units, with the average total training days ranging from 2 to 3 days in 14% to over 7 days in 14% of units. Staff and patient competency assessments were performed routinely in 37% and 74% of units, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Considerable differences exist amongst Australian PD units in the education of staff and patients. There is a general lack of delivery and competency assessment to meet educational standards. It remains to be seen if harmonization of educational curricula can translate to improved clinical outcomes.
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine and Pharmacology, University of Western Australia, Perth, Queensland, Australia.|Australasian Kidney Trials Network, Diamantina Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: Neil
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Boudville
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.|Australasian Kidney Trials Network, Diamantina Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.|Translational Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: Yeoungjee
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.affiliation: Cairns Base Hospital, Cairns, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: Keri-Lu
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Equinox
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, Nutrition and Physiotherapy at Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ana Elizabeth
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Figueiredo
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.|Australasian Kidney Trials Network, Diamantina Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.|Translational Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: Carmel M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Hawley
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: Kirsten
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Howard
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.|Australasian Kidney Trials Network, Diamantina Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.|Translational Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: David W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, University of Tasmania, Melbourne, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jose
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District, Melbourne, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine and Pharmacology, University of Western Australia, Perth, Queensland, Australia.|Australasian Kidney Trials Network, Diamantina Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: Moira Alison
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Maley
authors.affiliation: Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: Jo-Anne
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Moodie
authors.affiliation: Australasian Kidney Trials Network, Diamantina Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: Elaine M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Pascoe
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Complementary Medicine (NICM), Western Sydney University, Penrith, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: Genevieve Z
authors.initials: GZ
authors.lastname: Steiner
authors.affiliation: John Hunter Hospital, Hunter New England Local Health District, Melbourne, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: Melinda
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tomlins
authors.affiliation: Middlemore Hospital, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Voss
authors.affiliation: University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.|University of Tasmania, Australia.|South Western Sydney Local Health District, NSW, Melbourne, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: Josephine
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chow
mesh_terms: D001315:Australia; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003479:Curriculum; D004509:Education, Nursing, Continuing / Q000379:methods*; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007318:Inservice Training; D009398:Nephrology / Q000193:education*; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000193:education*; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D010530:Peritoneal Dialysis; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012648:Self Care; D013663:Teaching
keywords: chronic kidney failure; education; nursing education; patient education; peritoneal dialysis