Investigating the self-perceived educational priorities of haematology nurses

Purpose: To identify the educational priorities of haematology nurses in relation to nursing care of patients with haematological conditions. Method: We used an online survey questionnaire to identify educational priorities and preferences for learning in haematology nurses across a European setting. Frequencies and descriptive statistics were calculated for demographic variables and chi-square tests to examine relationships between educational needs and demographic variables. Results: 265 nurses from 21 countries responded, the majority being Staff Nurses (37.7%), with > 5 years experience in haematology (77.3%) and educated to degree level or above (66.0%). The top 5 educational priorities were disease specific information for lymphoma, disease specific information for leukaemia, management of long-term side effects, understanding the immune system and new treatments in haematology. Demographic variables such as length of experience and patient group cared for influenced some educational priorities. Attending educational conferences was the preferred learning method. Conclusions: This study provides insight into self-perceived educational priorities for haematology nurses and priorities to inform development of educational initiatives.