Abstract
Background: Education of both cardiac and non-cardiac nursing staff has been shown to improve patient outcomes with cardiac disease. For patients hospitalised with a non-cardiac illness, the diagnosis of a cardiac event may be delayed. Therefore, the aim is to educate nurses from a varied background to identify and initiate early treatment strategies for patients experiencing myocardial ischemia in the medical/surgical wards. Our objective in this pilot study was to assess the change in knowledge level in cardiac and non-cardiac nursing staff using a short educational reading.
Methods: Thirty nursing staff—15 with a cardiac background and 15 from a medical background were randomly chosen. A pre- and post-test was delivered to test the effectiveness of targeted education.
Results: In the non-cardiac/medical group the average pre test score was 13 ± 5 (out of a possible 25). After the educational reading this score significantly increased to 21 ± 5 (p < 0.001). The pre-test results for the cardiac group was higher than the pre-test results for the medical group (p < 0.001), however there was still a significant increase in post-test score for the cardiac group, though the change was not as dramatic (21 ± 2–25 ± 1, p = 0.04).
Conclusion: This study demonstrates that even a simple 20 min education in the form of reading can improve cardiac knowledge base in both cardiac and non-cardiac trained nursing staff. A more interactive and easily available education system, possibly computer based may further improve knowledge and perhaps lead to improved patient outcomes.
Methods: Thirty nursing staff—15 with a cardiac background and 15 from a medical background were randomly chosen. A pre- and post-test was delivered to test the effectiveness of targeted education.
Results: In the non-cardiac/medical group the average pre test score was 13 ± 5 (out of a possible 25). After the educational reading this score significantly increased to 21 ± 5 (p < 0.001). The pre-test results for the cardiac group was higher than the pre-test results for the medical group (p < 0.001), however there was still a significant increase in post-test score for the cardiac group, though the change was not as dramatic (21 ± 2–25 ± 1, p = 0.04).
Conclusion: This study demonstrates that even a simple 20 min education in the form of reading can improve cardiac knowledge base in both cardiac and non-cardiac trained nursing staff. A more interactive and easily available education system, possibly computer based may further improve knowledge and perhaps lead to improved patient outcomes.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 171 |
| Pages (from-to) | S73 |
| Number of pages | 1 |
| Journal | Heart, Lung and Circulation |
| Volume | 17 |
| Issue number | Supp 3 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 15 Jul 2008 |
| Externally published | Yes |
| Event | Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand Annual Scientific Meeting and the International Society for Heart Research, Australasian Section, Annual Scientific Meeting 2008 - Adelaide, Australia Duration: 7 Aug 2008 → 10 Aug 2008 |