Basic and Continuing Education Needs of Nurses Instrument: Development and Validation

AIM: To develop and psychometrically test the Basic and Continuing Education Needs of Nurses Instrument. BACKGROUND: Nurses need to keep updating their knowledge through engaging in continuing education and professional development activities. Continuing education should be based on needs assessment. METHODS: Items generated were devised from a comprehensive literature review guided by Morrel-Samuels' guidelines. Psychometric analysis was then performed on data from 3632 registered nurses across 74 Lebanese hospitals. Two-factor structures were evaluated: the one-dimensional structure including all items and a six-dimensional structure proposed by the authors. Reliability, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were used. Associations between the total knowledge score and nurses' characteristics were assessed using linear regression. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: The total scale had Cronbach's alpha of 0.93 and the six subscales between 0.74 and 0.82. Exploratory factor analysis on the first randomly drawn sample of the data supported the one-factor structure. Confirmatory factor analysis on the second randomly drawn sample revealed that both structures were acceptable with better fit for the six-dimensional structure. Linear regression showed significant associations between total score and nurses' age, income, education and gender. The tool has satisfactory psychometric properties for registered nurses in Lebanon and demonstrated relevance to the Lebanese context of nursing practice. CONCLUSION: We developed a locally adaptable and psychometrically sound instrument to assess the perceived learning needs of Lebanese nurses. Evidence of the validity and reliability of the instrument was provided. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING AND HEALTH POLICY: At a practice level, the Instrument allows nurse leaders to assess knowledge gaps and respond accordingly to nurses perceived learning needs at the national level thus improving practice and protecting people's health. At a policy level, this study has implications for developing policies, regulations and guidelines in support of nurses' continuing education needs and their professional development.