Presentation in eblip6 conference

1. EBLIP6, 27-30 June 2011. Valuing knowledge and expertise.
Tuulevi Ovaska
University of Eastern Finland Library
Kuopio University Hospital Medical Library
Kuopio, Finland
Nurses’ and head nurses’
information retrieval training
– collecting and comparing expectations and
feedback for evidence-based decisions

2. Background
• Extensive in-service training programmes (courses) in evidence-based
practice for nurses and head nurses in Kuopio University Hospital
(KUH)
– Promoting evidence-based nursing in KUH, 2009-2010 (nurses)
– Evidence-based leadership, 2010-2011 (head nurses)
• Organized by KUH in collaboration with the Department of Nursing
Science of the University of Eastern Finland
– Practical organizer KUH Educational Services
• Information retrieval (IR) skills training was integrated in both
courses in order for nurses and head nurses to be able to search
evidence effectively.
UEF/Library 28.6.2011 2

3. Assumptions and presumptions
•There was no doubt as to the need and usefulness of IR
skills training for the nurses’ course.
– Considered to be an essential part of the program
– Given a relatively sufficient amount of time
• Lecture 4 x 45 min
• Hands-on training sessions on Finnish databases 3 x 45 min
• Hands-on training sessions on international databases 3 x 45 min
• Training material and ask-a-librarian service in Moodle (an e-
learning platform)
– Nurses were not asked if they needed IR training or if they
already had IR skills
UEF/Library 28.6.2011 3

4. Assumptions and presumptions
•Instead, before the programme for head nurses the
organizers assumed that all participants would have at
least basic IR skills and that some of them might not
need IR training at all.
– IR part of the course for head nurses was optional
– IR training section for head nurses was smaller than that of
nurses' course
• Lecture 4 x 45 min
• Hands-on training sessions on Finnihs and international databases
4 x 45 min
• Training material in Moodle (e-learning platform)
UEF/Library 28.6.2011 4

5. Collecting expectations
• When applying for the course the head nurses were asked about
their
– IR skills level
– knowledge of five reference databases
– willingness to participate in the optional IR training.
• This was done in order to be able to adjust the contents of the IR
training sessions according to their needs.
– However, less time, compared to the nurses’ course, was already
scheduled for IR training, regardless of what the needs might be.
UEF/Library 28.6.2011 5

6. Applicants' answers to IR skills questions
Almost all (88 %) of the head nurses were willing to attend the optional IR training
UEF/Library 28.6.2011 6

7. Applicants' answers to IR skills questions
UEF/Library 28.6.2011 7

8. IR skills were not as good as assumed
• Less than a third (29 %) of the head nurses considered they had
excellent or good IR skills
• More than a half (56 %) considered that they had only satisfactory
IR skills
• 12 % thought they had weak IR skills
• 4 % were unable to assess their IR skills
UEF/Library 28.6.2011 8

9. Applicants' answers to IR skills questions
UEF/Library 28.6.2011 9

10. Variation in database knowledge
• Only one had had experience in searching all of them
• About half had experience in searching at least one of them
– Medic, the Finnish health sciences database, was the most familiar,
but only to half of the head nurses
• The time allocated for IR training turned out to be too limited
considering the skills levels and the needs of the head nurse.
UEF/Library 28.6.2011 10

11. Collecting feedback
•After both courses, feedback about the IR skills training
was collected using a questionnaire.
•The results were analyzed both separately and in
comparison with each other.
– The comparisons are presented here.
UEF/Library 28.6.2011 11

12. Feedback percentages
UEF/Library 28.6.2011 12

13. Feedback percentages
UEF/Library 28.6.2011 13

14. Feedback percentages
UEF/Library 28.6.2011 14

15. Feedback percentages
UEF/Library 28.6.2011 15

16. Feedback percentages
UEF/Library 28.6.2011 16

17. Feedback percentages
UEF/Library 28.6.2011 17

18. Feedback percentages
UEF/Library 28.6.2011 18

19. Feedback percentages
UEF/Library 28.6.2011 19

20. Feedback percentages
UEF/Library 28.6.2011 20

21. Feedback results
• There were many differences between nurses' and head
nurses' opinions regarding the IR training, always in favour of the
nurses' programme.
– Did not meet head nurses’ expectations as well as those of nurses
– Nurses found the training very comprehensible more often than head
nurses
– Head nurses found the schedule inconvenient more often than nurses
– Nurses found the lecture more useful than head nurses
– Nurses found the training sessions more useful than head nurses
– Nurses found the training material more useful than head nurses
– Head nurses did not report learning as much as nurses
– Head nurses did not seem as confident as nurses about their ability to
utilize their new IR skills at work or in some other context
UEF/Library 28.6.2011 21

22. Conclusions
•IR education needs of head nurses had more
variation than those of nurses.
•It was not realistic to assume that head nurses
automatically had better IR skills, or that some of them
would not benefit from IR training.
•Advance data must be collected before making
schedules and allocating time for IR training.
•Instead of assumptions and presumptions regarding a
heterogeneous group, only facts should matter.
UEF/Library 28.6.2011 22

23. Literature
1. Dee C, Stanley EE. Information-seeking behavior of nursing students and clinical
nurses: Implications for health sciences librarians. J Med Libr Assoc. 2005;
93(2):213-22.
2. Kvist T, Tervo-Heikkinen T, Miettinen M, Vehviläinen-Julkunen K. Hoitotyön
tutkimusneuvosto kehittää näyttöön perustuvaa hoitotyötä KYSissä.
Sairaanhoitaja. 2011; 84(2):48-51.
3. Ovaska T. Supporting evidence-based nursing. In: Proceedings of EAHIL workshop
2007; 12-15 September; Cracow, Poland. European Association for Health
Information and Libraries; 2007. [Available at:
http://www.eahil.net/conferences/krakow_2007/www.bm.cm-
uj.krakow.pl/eahil/proceedingsOral.html]
4. Saranto K, Jylhä V, Kinnunen U. Are nurses prepared for engagement to
evidence-based practice with new technologies? In: Cashin A, Cook R, editors.
Evidence-based practice in nursing informatics : concepts and applications. Hershey,
PA: Medical Information Science Reference; 2011. p. 98-112.
5. Skiba DJ. Preparing for evidence-based practice: Revisiting information literacy.
Nurs Educ Perspect. 2005;26(5):310-1.
UEF/Library 28.6.2011 23

24. Acknowledgements
Ulla Ritvanen, for revising the English
Kirsi Salmi, co-teacher
www.uef.fi/kirjasto