Eureka! Institutional Repository

Quality in the health sector with the application of best practices is a matter for every health system. Nursing knowledge and skills and nurses ability to respond to the needs of the position and the high expectations of patients can be the competitive advantage of a hospital. Skill gap in nursing workers demonstrate the need for them to be trained by the service. Knowing the needs in nursing education is the first step in creating an induction and orientation program for newcomers, in order to have a smooth integration into their workplace. The aim of the study was to investigate their needs in education. A mixed methods approach was used. A total of 120 nurses completed a 21-item questionnaire on the work skills that compose their professional profile. Participants scored each item on two scales, one assessing the importance of the skill and a second their perceived level of competence. Qualitative data were collected using two open-ended questions on specific training needs. Results indicated that the top skills as far as the importance and the competence concerns were drug administration, emergency situations, time management and public trust. A series of t-tests were conducted to examine differences between importance and competence. Significant differences were found between perceived importance and competence, demonstrating the need for training in all skills. According to open-ended questions (qualitative data) nurses in particular emphasis on basic theory, nursing skills, pharmaceutical therapy, critical situations and nursing specialties.