Intensive Care Unit Nurses' Perception of The Barriers to Effective in-Service Education: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

Educating the staff in organizations is one of the most important issues in different countries, so concerning the necessity of nurses' roles and scientific advancements in providing nursing care will not be achieved without in-service education. the purposes of this study is to investigate intensive care unit nurses' perception of the barriers to effective in-service education. This qualitative study was conducted at Shiraz University of Medical Sciences. The study was conducted using a descriptive exploratory qualitative design with a content analysis approach, to evaluate nurses' perception of the barriers to effective inservice education from March 2015 to June 2016. Participants of this study included 24 nurses working in the ICU of one hospital. They were selected using purpose-based sampling. Data collection was conducted through individual in-depth semi-structured interviews and focus groups in a quiet room in the hospital. Data analysis was done with a conventional content analysis method. Three main themes of nurse's in-service education barriers were extracted from the analysis of the data. The themes are ineffective teaching methods, inappropriate content of educational programs, and inappropriate scheduling of teaching programs. Identifying the barriers to effective in-service education can guide nurses and nursing administrators in improving education in the nursing field and subsequently providing better treatments for patients.