The Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing
Vol. 35 No. 4 July/August 2004
By Susan S. Harrington, MS, PE; Bonnie L. Walker, PhD
ABSTRACT
Nursing facility administrators must find new and innovative ways to meet the training needs of their staff. In this article, researchers discuss the effectiveness of computer-based training compared with the traditional instructor-led format. The computer-based and instructor-led versions of a fire safety training program were presented to staff of nine nursing facilities. Participants (N = 1,294) were randomly assigned to the computer-based or instructor-led groups. Both groups significantly increased their scores from pretest to posttest. The computer-based group significantly outperformed the instructor-led group on the knowledge subtest at posttest. Participants reported that they enjoyed the computer-based training and had no difficulty using the computers. The researchers concluded that computer based training can be an effective and efficient alternative training technique.
AUTHORS
Ms. Harrington is President and Dr. Walker is Associate, Harrington Software Associates, Inc., Warrenton, Virginia.
The authors have a financial interest in the computer-based fire safety training program.
This article was prepared pursuant to the National Institute of Nursing Research Grant Number 2 R44 NR04743-02. The statements and conclusions herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the sponsoring agency.
Address reprint requests to Susan S. Harrington, MS, PE, 7431 Wilson Road, Warrenton, VA 20186 or susan@hsainc.net.
