Date of Award
2002
Document Type
Practicum
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Department
Programs for Higher Education
Advisor
Adrian Harper
Keywords
advance directives, continuing education, employee education, evaluation research, geriatric care, handbook evaluation, literature review, Metropolitan Jewish Geriatric Center, nursing education, orientation programs, questionnaire development, staff development, staff nurses, subacute care, summative committee, survey research
Abstract
Metropolitan Jewish Geriatric Center (MJGC) has in its mission statement that it will provide education to all its employees. This is to ensure patients would have their direct and indirect care needs met. The purpose of this study was to provide information on advance directives to the staff nurses working on the subacute unit. Evaluation was necessary in order to determine whether the content and objectives of the handbook on advance directives met the needs of the nurses on the subacute unit.
The evaluation problem solving methodology was used in this study. There were three basic research questions for this study: What are the criteria for developing an instrument to determine if the use of the handbook on advance directives is successful for the staff on the subacute unit at MJGC? What are the staff nurses' perceptions of the handbook on advance directives? Are there gaps between the established criteria for the handbook and the staff nurses' perception of the handbook?
The procedures to complete this project included: (a) reviewing of the literature, (b) establishing a formative committee, (c) developing the criteria for evaluating the handbook on advance directives, (d) establishing the summative committee, (e) writing a draft of the questionnaire (f) reviewing the draft of the questionnaire, by the summative committee, based on established criteria, (g) and making revisions based on both committees' input. The questionnaires and letters were mailed to staff nurses on the subacute unit requesting the return within seven days. The questionnaires were returned by mail and examined. The data were analyzed by the formative committee for gaps between the criteria for developing the questionnaire and the questionnaire itself. The results of the project showed that the content and objectives of the handbook on advance directives for the staff on the subacute unit were met. A final report was written and presented to the Director of Nursing for possible changes in the handbook.
Recommendations made by the committees were: to incorporate the handbook into the orientation and continuing education programs, to review and update the handbook as necessary, and to share the handbook with our sister facility.