The Analysis Of Personal Factors Influencing On-job Nursing Staff To Participate In Continuing Nursing Education

Objective:The purpose of the study is to figure out and analyze the personal factors that influences nursing staff to take part in Continuing Nursing Education (CNE).It is quite possible that the results of the research will not only provide nursing administrators at all levels with useful information to make nursing staff reach their full potential in learning as well as maximize the effect of CNE but also lend support to the policy maker of CNE to help solve problems confronted by nursing staff so that they are carefree and willing to engage in lifelong learning as well as independent learning.Methods:After reviewing the relevant literature and expertise consultation, based on the Education Participation Scale(EPS) which is an internationally widely-adopted questionnaire with ideal reliability and validity, combined with comprehensive study results of education participation motivation of adults including abroad research of classified participation-motivation, researches of the correlation between participation -motivation and social statistic variances ,and national study of CNE needs assessment , a new form of questionnaire named"CNE survey questionnaire"that is more adaptable to Chinese current nursing conditions was established. The pilot was carried out by using"CNE survey questionnaire"as a tool in order to test the reliability and validity of the questionnaire and got the results as following:①Reliability of the questionnaire: the inventory has satisfying reliability with Cronbach'αcoefficient for each dimension and overall questionnaire ranging from 0.892 to 0.965 indicating a good inter-item consistency.②Validity of the questionnaire: after the factor analysis six factors standing out with a loading value greater than 1 accounts for 75.94% of total contribution, also indicating an ideal validity. The research concentrates on studying nursing staffs'personal factors consisting of social statistics variances and participation motivation, self–evaluation of the CNE effect ,and correlation between them. All quantitative data of the questionnaire survey was analyzed by SPSS (13.0). The statistical analysis methods included factor analysis, ANOVA,descriptive, and correlation analysis.Results: 1. The motivations for nursing staffs to enroll in CNE can be classified into six groups, such as professional advancement, cognitive interests, social contact, social stimulation, altruistic service and external expectation. Among the six types of motivation, professional advancement and cognitive interest have the strongest and the most universal influence. The distinct of motivational classification in intensity is significant. Moreover, it is not unusual that the major participation-motivation of nursing staff is compounding with two or more rather than with single one. 2. The motivations propelling nursing staffs to participate in CNE have either positive or negative correlativity with individual social statistics variances:①Marital status has a significant positive correlation with professional advancement social stimulation, external expectation, social contact(P<.01) as well as a significant negative correlation with cognitive interest and altruistic service(P<.01).②There is a significant positive correlation between age and cognitive interest and altruistic service(P<.01) as well as a negative correlation between age and professional advancement, social stimulation and external expectation(P<.05).③Education degree has a significant positive correlation with professional advancement(P<.01) and a significant negative social stimulation, external expectation and social contact(P<.05).④The title of a professional/technical post has a significant correlation with cognitive interest and altruism (P<.01)as well as a significant negative correlation with social stimulation, external expectation and social contact(P<.01).⑤Monthly income has a significant positive correlation with cognitive interest and altruism service(P<.01) as well as a significant negative correlation with social stimulation, external expectation and social contact(P<.01).⑥Contract type has a significant negative correlation with external expectations (P<.05) and a positive correlation with cognitive interest. 3.Besides that the correlation between distinct motivations and the self-evaluation of the effect of CNE which is composed of six aspects(application of acquire knowledge & skills into work and daily life ,quality of nursing service, maintaining and/or augmenting of one's income, degree of satisfaction of nursing work, degree of specialty acceptance ) is of significance. The participants driven by cognitive interest tend to hold a positive attitude on enhanced degree of satisfaction of nursing work and degree of specialty acceptance promoted by CNE. The participants impelled by professional advancement are prone to regard CNE useful in maintaining and/or augmenting of one's income. The nursing staff provoked by social stimulation, altruistic service, or external expectation to take part in CNE tends to confirm the practical value of acquired knowledge & skills.Conclusions: Personal factors of nursing staff which is composed of internal motivations and social statistic variances exert an influence on the participation of CNE as well as the self-appraisal of educational effect. Among these factors, professional advancement and cognitive interest have the strongest and the most universal influence while external expectation has little influence. Therefore, CNE policy maker and nursing administrators at all levels should take individual characters of nursing staff into consideration when organizing and arranging CNE activity of hiberarchy,avianize administrative intervention as well as provide them with resource support so that their internal motivation will be inspired and learning effect will be optimized.