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Report From a National Survey Of Health Service Facilities for the National Review of Nursing Education 20011. Introduction1.1 Research Methodology1.1.1 Development of Health Survey Instrument The Centre for Health Services Management (CHSM) at UTS was commissioned to design, trial, refine and provide a two-page (A4) double-sided questionnaire with the broad aim of collecting data from hospitals about placement of and satisfaction with nursing students (undergraduate Bachelor of Nursing students, trainee enrolled nurses and postgraduate students). This questionnaire was to be distributed to a sample of hospitals and collected by staff from the Nursing Education Review Secretariat (in the Department of Education, Training and Youth Affairs [DETYA]) and returned to the Centre for Health Services Management for analysis. This research was designed to help provide a picture of the 'load' on health facilities across Australia which provide clinical experience, and the support provided by health services to facilitate and support students and the support provided to them by educational facilities. It also intended to determine whether there are barriers to accepting students for placement; difficulties encountered by health facilities when accepting students for placement; and the degree of satisfaction with the knowledge and skills of new graduate registered and enrolled nurses and postgraduate registered nurse students. Retention data were also collected. 1.1 Research Methodology1.1.1 Development of the Health Survey Facility InstrumentThe purpose of the survey tool was to determine from Australian hospitals and health services, some of the implications of providing clinical experience for nursing students (including enrolled nurses [RN Division II], Bachelor of Nursing students and postgraduate students). As most States use 'Enrolled Nurse' this term will be used throughout the Report. The final questionnaire consisted of 51 questions. Items asked for information on organisational demographics (type and size of facility, number and mix of nursing staff); the numbers of students for whom clinical experience was provided and in what areas of specialty; the support provided by various health service facilities to these students; support provided by the universities when students were placed in clinical facilities; and barriers to accepting students. Questions also asked facilities to indicate their satisfaction with the skills and knowledge of new nurses (enrolled and registered); the support provided to new employees; and the involvement of health service organisations in postgraduate programs. Institutions were also asked to indicate the retention rate for new graduates and midwives in their facilities, and from their experience, to indicate the importance of specific factors in the retention of registered nurses in the workforce. Items were drawn from the literature and work undertaken previously by the authors. The majority of items arose from information sought by the Nursing Education Review Secretariat as a result of submissions and other consultative mechanisms. 1.1.2 Ethical ConsiderationsThe instrument was to be an audit tool only and no personal, confidential or identifying information was collected from any of the respondents. No interventions or other experimental conditions were undertaken. 1.1.3 Sample and Questionnaire DistributionHealth facilities throughout Australia were opportunistically recruited to participate in the study. Responsibility for the distribution and collection of the questionnaires was organised and undertaken by the Nursing Education Review Secretariat using the following method. One batch was sent to the Australian Hospital Association to distribute to its members; one batch was mailed directly to private hospitals; one batch was sent with reply paid envelopes and a covering letter to Mayne Health; and one batch was sent with reply paid envelopes and a covering letter directly to Aged Care facilities. However, no records were kept as to the number actually distributed by the intermediate agencies. Therefore, a response rate cannot be calculated. Questionnaires were returned to the Nursing Education Review Secretariat and forwarded to the Centre for Health Services Management for analysis. Health facilities ranging in size from 10 to 900 beds responded. One hundred and thirty two responses were received from public hospitals; 155 from private hospitals, 87 from private non-profit organisations, 49 were received from charitable institutions, and nine gave no information about the type of organisation. A total of 432 questionnaires was returned. 1.1.4 Data AnalysisData were entered into SPSS independently by a research assistant and analysed descriptively. Frequencies were produced for all variables with means and standard deviation on scale items. Cross-tabulations were carried out on subsets of grouped variables. 1.1.5 ResultsIn most cases the results are presented according to category of organisation, as follows: public; private for-profit; charitable; and private not-for-profit. Where facilities did not provide these data, their results are presented as 'other' or 'not stated'. |
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