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This study aimed to identify the priority areas of trauma nursing educational needs according to the career stages of emergency department (ED) nurses.
Methods
This descriptive comparative study was conducted with a convenience sample of 143 nurses working in 13 EDs in Seoul, Korea, all at or above the local emergency medical center level. Participants’ career stages were categorized into advanced beginner, competent practitioner, and proficient practitioner. They completed a questionnaire measuring their perceived importance and performance levels related to trauma nursing. Data were analyzed using frequencies, the t-test, Borich needs assessment model, and the locus for focus model.
Results
After excluding one questionnaire with insincere responses, data from 142 participants were included in the final analysis. Priority educational needs differed by career stage: nurses at the advanced beginner level emphasized education directly related to patient resuscitation, while nurses at higher career stages identified more diverse and in-depth educational needs. Across all stages, however, the most common priority competencies were circulation and bleeding control assessments, clinical knowledge of trauma resuscitation, and ventilator manipulation skills.
Conclusion
Tailored trauma nursing education is needed for ED nurses at different career stages. All nurses require training in circulation and bleeding control, trauma resuscitation, and ventilator management, but novice nurses benefit most from foundational resuscitation content, whereas experienced nurses require advanced programs. Career stage–specific education can promote professional development and improve the quality of trauma care.
If rapid and appropriate treatment is not promptly administered to patients with severe trauma, long-term outcomes, including mortality and functional disability, can be significantly affected [1,2]. Initial care in the emergency department (ED) serves as a vital link between field first aid and definitive in-hospital care [1], making it essential for the survival and recovery of patients with severe trauma. Although the effects of specialized trauma nursing education in the ED vary across studies, evidence shows that the length of hospital stay for trauma patients can be reduced from 1 day to as many as 5.1 days [3,4]. The rate of readmission to the intensive care unit has been reported to decrease from 9.7% to 2.2% [4]. In addition, the time from ED arrival to final diagnosis for severe trauma patients decreased from 83 to 29 minutes, substantially shortening ED stay [5]. These findings indicate that providing ED nurses with professional trauma nursing education not only improves patient treatment outcomes but also contributes to cost-effective medical services.
Advanced Trauma Care for Nurses (ATCN) and the Trauma Nursing Core Course (TNCC) are the primary educational programs designed to enhance ED nurses’ trauma nursing competencies [6]. However, these programs often deliver uniform content to all nurses, without adequately considering differences in clinical experience or career stage competencies. This uniform approach may limit the programs’ effectiveness because it does not fully address the unique learning needs of nurses at various points in their careers.
Nurse competency can be strengthened through continuing professional development, which refers to the ongoing process through which nurses expand and maintain their expertise [7]. The motivation for and perceived need for such development vary by career stage [8]. Given that clinical experience is a major factor influencing nursing competency and that competency evolves with career progression [9,10], trauma nursing education should reflect these differences to more effectively support skill development.
Prior research has highlighted significant deficiencies in current trauma nursing education programs, noting that they frequently overlook the diverse career stages of participating nurses. Multiple studies have underscored the need for education tailored to the differing levels of experience and competence that nurses acquire over time [11,12]. Despite broad recognition of this issue, there remains a notable gap in research specifically examining trauma nursing educational needs according to distinct career stages.
To address this gap, it is essential to conduct a detailed analysis of the specific educational requirements of ED nurses at different stages of their careers. Such analysis is crucial for developing practical, effective educational programs that reflect the unique needs of each group [13] and support ongoing professional development [8].
Objectives
This study aimed to analyze the priorities of trauma nursing educational needs by career stage as a preliminary step toward developing trauma nursing education programs for ED nurses.
METHODS
Ethics statement
This study was approved by the Institutional Review Board of Ewha Womans University (No. EWHA-202404-0013-01). All respondents provided electronic informed consent prior to answering survey questions. The information collected online was stored in separate computerized files to ensure confidentiality, used solely for research purposes, and saved on the researcher's personal computer. All files were encrypted to prevent access by individuals other than the researcher. Research-related data will be retained for 3 years after the study’s completion in accordance with the Bioethics and Safety Act. This study is reported in accordance with the STROBE (Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology) guidelines.
Study design and setting
This study was a questionnaire survey–based cross-sectional investigation. The survey was conducted from April 25 to May 4, 2024. Nursing managers of 13 emergency medical centers at or above the level of regional emergency medical centers in Seoul, Korea, were contacted to provide a full explanation of the research process and to request cooperation. The recruitment document was disseminated through the smartphone messenger application used by each institution’s department via the nursing manager of the emergency medical center who agreed to participate. An online survey link and QR code were included at the bottom of the recruitment document, allowing those who wished to participate to voluntarily access the URL or QR code and complete the survey online. The survey was administered using a structured online questionnaire completed directly by participants. This study analyzed trauma nursing educational needs according to the career stages of ED nurses. For this purpose, Borich needs assessment model [14] and the locus for focus model [15] were used.
Participants
This study required participants with experience in trauma nursing; therefore, the target population consisted of nurses working in EDs at or above the level of local emergency medical centers, including regional trauma centers, where trauma patients are frequently cared for. Subjects in the beginner stage (less than one year of experience) were excluded based on the career stage classification in Jang’s [16] adaptation of Benner’s [17] skill acquisition model to the domestic nursing context. Consequently, nurses with more than one year of ED experience at a regional emergency medical center in Seoul were included as study participants. According to the nursing career stages proposed by Jang [16], participants were categorized into three groups: advanced beginners (1–3 years of ED experience), competent practitioners (4–6 years), and proficient practitioners (≥7 years). Additional exclusion criteria were applied to managers who did not engage in clinical practice in the ED.
Variables
Outcome variables consisted of 46 questionnaire items categorized into six topics: rapid initial assessments considering injury mechanisms, priority determinations based on urgency and severity, clinical knowledge, skills, interprofessional teamwork, and emotional care.
Data sources and measurement
Following institutional review board approval, data were collected through an online survey. Responses from 143 nurses were used for analysis.
Preliminary questions assessing the trauma nursing competency of ED nurses were developed based on a conceptual analysis of trauma nursing competency in ED settings [18]. A total of 45 preliminary questions were generated by modifying and adding items from previously used measurement tools [11,19], with permission obtained for some items related to clinical knowledge and trauma nursing skills. Content validity was evaluated twice by six experts, including three emergency medical specialists and three nurses with more than 10 years of ED experience. Each question was rated on a 4-point scale ranging from “no relevance to the question” (1 point) to “quite high relevance” (4 points), and revisions were suggested when needed. According to Polit et al. [20], an item content validity index (I-CVI) of at least 0.78 and a scale content validity index/average (S-CVI/Ave) of at least 0.90 are recommended as minimum acceptable standards. During the first content validity evaluation, two items judged to be duplicative of other questions and scoring an I-CVI of 0.78 or lower were deleted. Experts also recommended adding and revising items related to assistance and management of specific skills frequently performed in the ED. Based on this feedback, three items were added or modified in the skills category, resulting in 46 secondary preliminary items. All 46 items met the I-CVI threshold of 0.78 or higher in the second evaluation, and the S-CVI/Ave was 0.98. The internal consistency of the tool was excellent, with a Cronbach α of 0.97. The final trauma nursing competency measurement tool for ED nurses consisted of 46 items: 5 on rapid initial assessments considering injury mechanisms, 4 on priority determinations based on urgency and severity, 15 on clinical knowledge, 12 on skills, 6 on interprofessional teamwork, and 4 on emotional care. Each item was rated for both performance and importance using a 5-point Likert scale. Performance (present competence level, PCL) represented the participant’s current ability level in trauma nursing, whereas importance (required competence level, RCL) indicated the degree to which ED nurses considered the competency essential for trauma nursing practice.
Bias
The use of convenience sampling and voluntary participation could have introduced self-selection bias, as nurses with a higher interest in trauma nursing or stronger opinions about educational needs may have been more likely to participate. To strengthen validity, the measurement tool underwent rigorous content validation by six experts, resulting in high content validity indices (I-CVI ≥0.78, S-CVI/Ave=0.98). The structured questionnaire and standardized data collection procedure also helped minimize measurement bias across all participants.
Study size
The sample size was calculated using the G*Power ver. 3.1.9 (Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf), with an effect size of 0.25, a significance level of 0.05, and a power of 0.80, applying the corresponding sample t-test (two-tailed paired t-test) analysis method. This calculation was based on a previous study that conducted a survey on educational needs related to nurses’ competence [21]. The resulting sample size was 128 participants, and this number was increased to 143 to account for an anticipated dropout rate of 10%. Questionnaires were distributed to 143 individuals, and after excluding one questionnaire with insincere responses, data from 142 participants were included in the final analysis.
Statistical methods
The collected data were analyzed using IBM SPSS ver. 29.0 (IBM Corp). The general characteristics of participants were analyzed using means and standard deviations, frequencies, and percentages. Step 5, as proposed by Cho [22], was applied to prioritize educational needs. The procedure consisted of the following steps:
Step 1: The performance and importance of participants’ trauma nursing competency were analyzed using the paired t-test to calculate the mean and standard deviation and to assess the statistical significance of differences in competency levels.
Step 2: Borich need value was calculated for each career stage based on Borich needs assessment model. Borich need value is obtained by subtracting “performance” from “importance” for each competency, multiplying this difference by the average importance score of that competency, and dividing the result by the total number of cases. These values are then ordered from highest to lowest. The Borich needs assessment formula is as follows:
Borichneeds=Σ(RCL-PCL)×RCL¯N
RCL indicates each individual’s importance score and PCL indicates each individual’s performance score. RCL¯ is the average score of the required competence level for each competency, while N is the total number.
Step 3: The locus for focus model was used to visualize the priority of trauma nursing educational needs according to career stage. The X-axis represented “importance,” and the Y-axis represented the difference between “importance” and “performance.” The coordinate plane was divided into four quadrants based on the average value of each axis. In the first quadrant (the high-importance, high-discrepancy [HH] quadrant), both importance and the discrepancy between importance and performance were above average. Competencies in the HH quadrant were regarded as the highest-priority educational demands.
Step 4: The number and types of competencies belonging to the HH quadrant for each career stage were identified, and higher rankings were selected according to Borich need values within that category.
Step 5: For each career stage, competencies that overlapped between Borich needs assessment model and the locus for focus model were designated as the highest-priority educational needs. Competencies that appeared in only one of the two analyses were classified as second-order priority items.
RESULTS
General characteristics of participants
Table 1 presents the general characteristics of the study participants. The average age of participants was 30.08±4.55 years, and 128 participants (90.1%) were women. Regarding educational background, 126 participants (88.7%) held a bachelor’s degree. The distribution of ED types in which participants worked was as follows: 82 (57.8%) worked in local emergency medical centers, 58 (40.8%) in regional emergency medical centers, and 2 (1.4%) in regional trauma centers. The average total clinical experience of participants was 6.78±4.50 years, and the overall average ED experience was 5.49±3.84 years. Based on ED experience level, 60 participants (42.2%) were categorized as advanced beginners, 40 (28.2%) as competent practitioners, and 42 (29.6%) as proficient practitioners. In addition, 69 participants (48.6%) had completed trauma nursing education.
The importance and performance of trauma nursing competency items
Table 2 shows the importance and performance of each trauma nursing competency item as perceived by participants. The average importance score for trauma nursing competency was 4.53±0.23 out of 5 points. Among specific items, clinical knowledge for shock and defibrillation received the highest importance scores, both averaging 4.78±0.45 points. These were followed by the “perform in priority order” item at 4.77±0.45 points and the ventilator manipulation skills item at 4.75±0.48 points. The item with the lowest importance score was clinical knowledge of forensic nursing related to trauma at 4.06±0.97 points. The average performance score for trauma nursing competency was 3.75±0.41 out of 5 points. The highest performance scores were observed for arterial line insertion preparation and management at 4.58±0.73 points, central line insertion preparation and management (duplicate in original wording) at 4.58±0.71 points, and hemodynamic monitoring at 4.29±0.86 points. The item with the lowest performance score was preparation and management of cricothyrotomy at 2.82±0.97 points.
Differences in importance and performance for each trauma nursing competency item
Before determining the priority of trauma nursing educational needs, the differences between importance and performance for each trauma nursing competency item were examined using the two-tailed paired t-test (Table 2). Except for the preparation and management of central line insertion and arterial line insertion, all items showed statistically significant differences between importance and performance (P<0.001).
Priority analysis of educational needs for trauma nursing by career stage
Educational needs for trauma nursing by career stage, applying Borich needs assessment formula
Table 3 shows the educational needs for trauma nursing by career stage based on Borich need assessment formula. For advanced beginner nurses, the highest need value was for preparation and management of cricothyrotomy (8.73), followed by preparation and management of pericardiocentesis (8.54), and pelvic fixation techniques (7.53). Among competent practitioners, preparation and management of pericardiocentesis showed the highest need value (6.34), followed by preparation and management of cricothyrotomy (5.91), and cervical protection and neurological evaluation (5.46). At the proficient practitioner stage, the highest need was preparation and management of cricothyrotomy (4.10), followed by pelvic fixation skills (3.89), and psychological problem observation (3.71).
Educational needs for trauma nursing by career stage using the locus for focus model
Fig. 1 presents the locus for focus results according to career stage. The number of HH items increased with higher career stages: 9 items for advanced beginners, 12 for competent practitioners, and 15 for proficient practitioners. Across all stages, recurring HH items included assessments of airway maintenance and breathing, circulation and bleeding control assessments, cervical protection and neurological assessment, identifying urgent symptoms, addressing urgent symptoms first, clinical knowledge of trauma resuscitation, and ventilator manipulation skills. The full HH item list is provided in Table S1.
Priority of educational needs for trauma nursing by career stage
Fig. 2 summarizes the synthesized priority items by career stage. Common priority competencies across stages were circulation and bleeding control assessments, clinical knowledge of trauma resuscitation, and ventilator manipulation skills. Stage-specific additions occurred within a limited range of items. For advanced beginners, clinical knowledge of chest trauma was additionally prioritized. For competent practitioners, cervical protection and neurological assessment, clinical knowledge of the pelvis and abdomen, and spinal trauma were added. For proficient practitioners, additional priority competencies included assessment of airway maintenance and breathing, cervical protection and neurological assessment, addressing urgent symptoms first, clinical knowledge of facial and neck trauma, clinical knowledge of pelvis and abdomen, clinical knowledge of spinal trauma, and pelvic fixation skills. Interprofessional teamwork and emotional care did not appear as first-order priorities; however, psychological problem observation and psychological requirement satisfaction emerged as second-order priorities in the proficient practitioner group.
DISCUSSION
Key results
ED nurses’ perceived importance of trauma nursing competencies consistently exceeded their self-reported performance levels across all 46 items (P<0.001), except for central and arterial line insertion. Priority educational needs varied by career stage: advanced beginners prioritized basic resuscitation skills, whereas more experienced nurses required broader and more advanced training. However, circulation and bleeding control assessments, trauma resuscitation knowledge, and ventilator manipulation skills emerged as universal priority competencies across all career stages.
Interpretation and comparison with previous studies
Experience and learning are the two principal pathways through which competency is acquired [9], and extensive clinical exposure is regarded as essential for strengthening trauma nursing competency among ED nurses [19]. However, contextual barriers, including time pressure, high workload, limited exposure to low-frequency but high-acuity procedures, and variability in available resources, make it difficult to accumulate sufficient experience in real clinical environments [11,23,24]. Systemic challenges, such as limited training opportunities and inadequate administrative and financial support for education, also warrant explicit acknowledgment [11,23]. Therefore, it is necessary not only to reinforce educational interventions that compensate for limited experience but also to implement supportive organizational strategies.
In the analysis of trauma nursing educational needs by career stage, the most common priority competencies across all stages were circulation and bleeding control assessments, clinical knowledge of trauma resuscitation, and ventilator manipulation skills. This aligns with findings from a survey of trauma center nurses, which reported the greatest needs in shock patient nursing, airway maintenance, and ventilation care [11]. Shock represents circulatory failure that creates an imbalance between tissue oxygen supply and demand, and hemorrhage is the most common cause of shock in trauma patients. Because hemorrhagic shock accounts for approximately 30% of deaths after trauma [25], early assessment and bleeding control are critical. Airway loss can also rapidly lead to deterioration and death; therefore, airway management is essential in trauma care [26], particularly among severe trauma patients requiring endotracheal intubation. After intubation, the operation and management of ventilators are indispensable nursing responsibilities [11].
These competencies directly correspond to the x-ABC (exsanguinating hemorrhage–airway, breathing, circulation) sequence emphasized in the 11th edition of Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS), in which exsanguinating hemorrhage is addressed first, followed by airway protection, breathing/ventilation, and circulation with hemorrhage control during the primary survey. This alignment with ATLS underscores the universal importance of these core competencies [27]. Therefore, all ED nurses, regardless of career stage, require education on circulation and bleeding control assessments, trauma resuscitation knowledge, and ventilator manipulation skills.
Regarding differences by career stage, the highest-priority educational need that appeared exclusively among nurses at the advanced beginner stage was clinical knowledge of chest trauma. The chest contains vital organs, including the heart, lungs, and major blood vessels, and injuries to these structures can be fatal [28]. Chest trauma has been associated with increased mortality among trauma patients [29]. Accordingly, the high demand for education related to clinical knowledge of chest trauma appears consistent with the potential impact of this content on patient prognosis.
In this study, clinical knowledge of chest trauma appeared as a second-order priority for competent and proficient practitioners, indicating that its priority decreased with greater experience, yet remained important. In addition, second-order priorities for advanced beginners generally included basic initial assessments, foundational knowledge, and skills necessary for trauma resuscitation. Because nurses with limited experience typically focus on acquiring essential competencies needed to perform safely in a complex and high-acuity environment [30], the patterns observed in this study reflect expected developmental progressions. Thus, nurses at the advanced beginner stage require education that emphasizes the basic competencies directly associated with the resuscitation of trauma patients.
Compared with advanced beginners, nurses at the competent practitioner stage demonstrated a broader range of educational needs in initial assessments, prioritization, and clinical knowledge. For these nurses, cervical protection and neurological assessment, clinical knowledge of the pelvis and abdomen, spinal trauma, and trauma resuscitation emerged as new top-priority needs. Additional second-order needs also appeared at this stage, including the assessment of potential trauma conditions and symptoms, clinical knowledge of head trauma, clinical knowledge of skin and sensory systems, clinical knowledge of primary and secondary assessments, and preparation and assistance for endotracheal intubation—items not identified at the advanced beginner stage. This pattern reflects the developmental shift at the competent level, where nurses begin to specialize within particular nursing domains while maintaining the professional knowledge and skills required for addressing complex and specific clinical problems [17].
The results of this study indicate that educational needs are higher for competencies required by nurses at the competent practitioner stage to provide optimal physical care to patients, in addition to the basic competencies directly related to resuscitation. These findings are consistent with qualitative research reporting stepwise educational needs, in which trauma nursing simulation programs were divided into basic and advanced courses according to nurses’ work experience [12].
According to this study, among the three career stage groups, proficient practitioner nurses exhibited the widest range of priority educational needs. Compared with nurses at earlier career stages, proficient practitioners identified assessment of airway maintenance and breathing, addressing urgent symptoms first, clinical knowledge of facial and neck trauma, and pelvic fixation skills as new top-priority educational needs. This differs from previous findings suggesting that new nurses express the highest educational needs relative to experienced nurses [10]. Notably, for the first time at the proficient practitioner stage, “observing psychological problems” and “satisfying psychological needs” emerged as second-order priority needs. This suggests that nurses at this stage recognize the importance of emotional care alongside competencies related to resuscitation and physical care. As experienced nurses gain proficiency in basic clinical practice, they become more confident in providing safe care and begin to place greater emphasis on caring behaviors and developing therapeutic relationships with patients and families [30]. Furthermore, as the scope and depth of practice expand and autonomy and independence increase at higher career stages [17], proficient practitioners appear to require education in areas—including emotional care—that earlier-stage nurses did not identify as essential in trauma nursing. Consequently, more holistic trauma nursing education is needed for nurses at the proficient practitioner stage.
The findings of this study also illustrate the diverse educational needs associated with trauma care among ED nurses. In the early stages of their careers, nurses need training that emphasizes immediate resuscitation. In contrast, more advanced nurses require specialized and comprehensive training to cultivate multifaceted trauma-care competencies. This variation highlights the need for customized educational programs tailored to each career stage rather than uniform content for all nurses. Continuous evaluation and provision of stage-specific nursing education are essential, as competency acquisition can be impeded when education does not align with nurses’ actual needs [10].
In recent years, the importance of trauma nursing education has been increasingly emphasized in Korea, and various educational programs, particularly simulation-based training, have been developed, marking a positive shift. However, few programs have been systematically structured to reflect the distinct educational needs of ED nurses according to their career stage. Existing recommendations are often vague, such as “recommended for nurses with 3–5 years of experience” or “recommended for nurses with less than 1–3 years of experience who are interested in respiratory care for severe trauma patients,” rather than presenting differentiated learning objectives or content grounded in actual career stage requirements.
Therefore, future trauma nursing education should adopt a core-plus-stage design, consisting of core modules (circulation and hemorrhage control, airway management, trauma resuscitation knowledge, and ventilator management) combined with stage-specific learning objectives and assessment standards. For novice nurses, education should focus on acquiring fundamental resuscitation skills and initial assessment competencies. For more experienced nurses, advanced training should emphasize complex prioritization, interprofessional collaboration, and emotional care.
In addition, ensuring the effectiveness of such training requires a systematic evaluation framework. For example, stage-specific objective structured clinical examinations and simulation-based assessments can be used to verify skill proficiency, while ongoing monitoring of clinical performance indicators (i.e., key performance indicators) can capture the application of these skills in practice.
Finally, to address the systemic and contextual barriers noted above, organizational support is required. Trauma nursing education should be implemented alongside enabling structures—protected education time and funded preceptorships to offset workload constraints; minimum simulation-dose standards and tele-mentoring access to compensate for limited exposure to low-frequency, high-acuity procedures; and resource-stratified rollout plans such as targets for simulation hours or preceptor contact time to accommodate institutional capacity. Embedding these supports in parallel with the curriculum increases the likelihood that educational gains translate into sustained clinical performance.
Such an approach aligns trauma nursing education with the actual needs of nurses and enhances both competency and patient safety. It also supports programs that not only meet educational needs but promote ongoing professional development in trauma nursing, consistent with previous studies advocating step-by-step education tailored to career progression [11].
Limitations
The sample was restricted to ED nurses working in regional emergency medical centers located in Seoul, which may limit the generalizability of the findings to other regions or different types of emergency care settings. To strengthen external validity, future research should adopt nationwide or multicenter study designs that incorporate diverse emergency medical environments across Korea.
Generalizability
The findings may be generalizable to EDs in urban tertiary hospitals with similar patient volumes and trauma care systems. However, applicability to rural environments, lower-level emergency centers, or different healthcare systems requires cautious interpretation and further validation studies.
Conclusions
The findings of this study highlight the importance of tailored trauma nursing education for ED nurses at different career stages. Although all ED nurses require training in circulation and bleeding control assessments, clinical knowledge of trauma resuscitation, and ventilator manipulation skills, substantial differences in educational needs were observed according to experience level. Novice nurses benefit most from education focused on basic resuscitation techniques, whereas more experienced nurses require comprehensive and advanced training. These distinctions underscore the need for customized training programs that align with the evolving competencies and responsibilities of ED nurses throughout their careers. By implementing targeted educational approaches, healthcare institutions can support the continuing professional development of ED nurses and enhance the quality of trauma care. Future research and educational initiatives should focus on developing and evaluating career stage-specific training programs to ensure optimal skill development and knowledge acquisition among ED nurses across all levels of experience.
ARTICLE INFORMATION
Author contributions
Conceptualization: all authors; Data curation: DB; Formal analysis: all authors; Funding acquisition: DB; Methodology: all authors; Writing–original draft: all authors; Writing–review & editing: all authors. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
Conflicts of interest
The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.
Funding
This study was supported by the Korean Association for Nurses of Trauma.
Data availability
Data analyzed in this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Analysis of trauma nursing educational needs in emergency department by career stage using the locus for focus model. (A) Advanced beginner. (B) Competent practitioner. (C) Proficient practitioner. RCL, required competency level; PCL, present competence level; HH, high importance, high discrepancy; HL, high importance, low discrepancy; LL, low importance, low discrepancy; LH, low importance, high discrepancy.
Fig. 2.
Priority of trauma nursing educational needs by career stage (n=142).
Table 1.
General characteristics of participants (n=142)
Characteristic
Value
Age (yr)
30.08±4.55
Gender
Men
14 (9.9)
Women
128 (90.1)
Education level
Diploma
2 (1.4)
Bacheolor’s degree
126 (88.7)
≥Master’s degree
14 (9.9)
Type of ED
Regional emergency medical center
82 (57.8)
Central emergency medical center
58 (40.8)
Central trauma center
2 (1.4)
Total clinical experience (yr)
6.78±4.50
Total ED experience (yr)
5.49±3.84
1–3 (Advanced beginner)
60 (42.2)
4–6 (Competent practitioner)
40 (28.2)
≥7 (Proficient practitioner)
42 (29.6)
Trauma nursing education experience
Yes
69 (48.6)
No
73 (51.4)
Values are presented as mean±standard deviation or number (%).
ED, emergency department.
Table 2.
Educational needs assessment for trauma nursing (n=142)
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Educational needs for trauma nursing based on career stage among emergency department nurses: a cross-sectional study
Fig. 1. Analysis of trauma nursing educational needs in emergency department by career stage using the locus for focus model. (A) Advanced beginner. (B) Competent practitioner. (C) Proficient practitioner. RCL, required competency level; PCL, present competence level; HH, high importance, high discrepancy; HL, high importance, low discrepancy; LL, low importance, low discrepancy; LH, low importance, high discrepancy.
Fig. 2. Priority of trauma nursing educational needs by career stage (n=142).
Graphical abstract
Fig. 1.
Fig. 2.
Graphical abstract
Educational needs for trauma nursing based on career stage among emergency department nurses: a cross-sectional study
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