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Needs Assessment: Collecting the Evidence

EXPECTATIONS FOR NEEDS ASSESSMENT

The Nursing Professional Devel- opment Scope and Standards of Prac- tice (American Nurses Association and National Nursing Staff Develop- ment Organization, 2010) includes needs assessment and identifi cation of issues and trends as two respon- sibilities of the nursing professional development specialist. Assessment includes “systematic and purposeful collection of data” (p. 23) and syn- thesis of data “to identify patterns and variances” (p. 23). Competencies related to identifi cation of issues and trends include “derives target audi-

ence needs and abilities from the as- sessment data” (p. 24) and “validates identifi ed needs” (p. 24). Just as the nursing process uses assessment to collect and analyze data on patient care, assessment in the continuing education context includes data col- lection and analysis of learner needs.

The 2013 ANCC Primary Accredi- tation Application Manual (American Nurses Credentialing Center, 2013) defi nes needs assessment as “the pro- cess by which a discrepancy between what is desired and what exists is iden- tifi ed” (p. 103). In the process of con- ducting a needs assessment, the nurse planner collects and analyzes data to determine where learners are now in relation to the desired outcome, where they need to be, and what educa- tional approaches would be effective in bridging that gap.

STRATEGIES FOR NEEDS ASSESSMENT

Perhaps the most common ap- proach to data collection is the an- nual needs assessment, where nurses are asked each year what they would “like” to learn or what they think they “need” to learn. Other approaches

are to ask nurse managers or admin- istrators what they think should be included in the continuing education plan for the upcoming year and to ask unit educators what their nurses need.

A fundamental problem with these approaches is the focus on “what” rather than “why.” With- out considering the rationale for the education and having an idea of the intended outcome, the development of learning activities is unfocused.

Additional needs assessment strat- egies that can provide data for plan- ning learning activities include, but are not limited to: ● Reviewing risk management data

for areas of needed improvement, such as medication safety.

● Analyzing quality improvement data for initiatives that affect nursing practice, such as improv- ing handoff communication.

● Coordinating educational activi- ties with organizational goals.

● Assessing the professional devel- opment needs of nurses, such as increasing the number of nurses with specialty certifi cation.

● Targeting learners based on a spe- cifi c need, such as the desire for an organization to be recognized as a stroke center.

● Evaluating state, regional, or na- tional trends in relation to local needs.

● Considering integration of tech- nological or scientifi c changes.

● Evaluating key issues, such as re- curring themes in ethics consulta- tions.

Dr. Dickerson is Director of Continuing Education, Montana Nurses Association, Silver Spring, Maryland.

The author has disclosed no potential confl icts of interest, fi nancial or otherwise. Dr. Dickerson is a commissioner and Ms. Lubejko is an appraiser with the ANCC’s Commis-

sion on Accreditation. Views expressed by them or their guest authors are their own and are not representative of the Commission, except as specifi cally noted.

Address correspondence to Pamela S. Dickerson, PhD, RN-BC, FAAN, 409 South Spring Road, Westerville, OH 43081; e-mail: [email protected].

doi:10.3928/00220124-20140224-11

abstract How nurse planners collect needs

assessment data has an impact on the success of educational activities. Instead of traditional approaches, such as an annual needs assess- ment, the focus needs to shift to the desired outcomes of the activity and the evidence that exists to dem- onstrate learner need. J Contin Educ Nurs. 2014;45(3):104-105.

Associate Editors: Pamela S. Dickerson, PhD, RN-BC, FAAN Barbara G. Lubejko, MS, RN Author: Pamela S. Dickerson, PhD, RN-BC, FAAN

105The Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing · Vol 45, No 3, 2014

KEY QUESTIONS Several key questions can be used

to guide the needs assessment pro- cess (Sidebar). They include: 1. What outcome do we want to

achieve, and why? What is the problem or opportunity to be addressed?

2. For the intended target audience, what is the gap between where they are now and where they need to be to achieve the out- come?

3. What is the specifi c need for the target audience to close the gap? Knowledge? Skill? Application in practice?

To answer these questions, the nurse planner collects focused evi- dence that will guide the develop- ment of the learning activity. A pre- test, a survey, observation of current practice, a conversation with nurse educators or managers, and a focus group of potential target audience members are just a few of the ways that this needs assessment data can be collected. On the basis of the fi ndings, the purpose, objectives, and teaching-learning strategies can be developed to focus specifi cally on meeting the identifi ed need to achieve the desired outcome.

This process is signifi cantly dif- ferent from the “usual” approach of starting with needs assessment and then planning activities. Evidence for a needs assessment cannot be truly valuable without the context of the desired outcome of a learning activity.

EXAMPLES: DEVELOPING LEADERSHIP SKILLS

The Institute of Medicine report, The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health (2011), recommends that nurses expand and enhance their leadership roles in the health care system. Following are

two examples of how needs assess- ment data can be collected relative to this recommendation, one in a clinical practice setting and one in a community-based provider unit.

One trap that many nurse plan- ners fall into is using the Institute of Medicine report itself as the needs as- sessment data. It is important to ad- dress this national recommendation; however, planning an educational activity on leadership based only on this recommendation does not ac- count for the amount and quality of nursing leadership currently being shown by nurses in the target audi- ence. How would a focused needs as- sessment help?

At Goodness Hospital, nurse ex- ecutives and nurse managers shared their concern about the lack of effec- tive leadership skills among charge nurses. Through further question- ing, the nurse planner learned that communication, confl ict resolution, and team collaboration were specifi c leadership areas where charge nurses were not functioning at the desired level. The nurse planner can now sur- vey, test, or observe these nurses to identify defi cits and determine how learning activities can be developed to meet their specifi c needs. This is much more effective than develop- ing a leadership course for all charge nurses based solely on the Institute of Medicine report.

At ABC Specialty Organization, the national offi ce received feedback indicating that more than half of its local chapters could not meet the requirement of having a chair, vice chair, and treasurer for each chapter because not enough members were willing to run for these offi ces. The national offi ce worked with chapter representatives to develop a survey of members to identify their rea- sons for not aspiring to leadership positions. Survey results showed

that the primary reason why nurses did not run for offi ce was a lack of confi dence in their ability to serve in these roles. A leadership course was developed and offered to each chapter; within 2 years, all ballot positions were fi lled. Targeted needs assessment led to the development of a relevant course that addressed the needs of learners and led to attain- ment of the desired outcome at both the local and national levels.

CONCLUSION Needs assessment is a critical

part of activity planning to achieve desired outcomes. Collecting evi- dence to identify specifi c needs of nurses in relation to the identifi ed gap in knowledge, skill, or practice strengthens the entire process of planning and implementing mean- ingful continuing nursing education.

REFERENCES American Nurses Association and National

Nursing Staff Development Organization (2010). Nursing professional development scope and standards of practice. Silver Spring, MD: Author.

American Nurses Credentialing Center (2013). 2013 ANCC primary accredita- tion application manual (rev. 3.0). Silver Spring, MD: Author.

Institute of Medicine (2011). The future of nursing: Leading change, advancing health. Washington, DC: National Acad- emies Press.

SIDEBAR

KEY QUESTIONS IN CONDUCTING A NEEDS

ASSESSMENT • What is the desired outcome of this

learning experience for this target audience? Why? What is the problem or opportunity to be addressed?

• For these learners, what is the gap between where they are now and where they need to be?

• What evidence demonstrates the knowledge, skill, or ability needed to close the gap?

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