Evidence- and needs-based staff education in long-term care

Background: Approximately 5% of older adults reside in long-term care, but they represent a particularly vulnerable population. Admission to long-term care settings is disproportionately associated with death and disability. Staff education is one important approach to improving the quality of care for older adults in this setting. Description: This federally funded project used The Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing best practices as a starting point to develop staff education programs for two long-term care centers. We describe the results of this initiative to improve the quality of care through education of RN/LPNs and nurse's aides. Each group received core information from the Hartford Institute materials as well as content tailored to their stated needs.

Lessons Learned: While both groups valued the sessions, the RNs and LPNs tended to view the content as a review and update of their existing knowledge. The nurse's aides, in contrast, valued the content as new material and expressed satisfaction with their attempts to apply their learning in the care settings.

Recommendations: Evidence- and needs-based education for the staff of long-term care facilities can increase awareness of best practice approaches and influence care provided. In particular, the nurse's aides, who are often the front-line staff providing direct care, can benefit the most from such education. Administrators also find a good fit between best practice education and their goals for staff development.