Nurses Attitudes toward the "Advanced Nursing Process" before and after an educational intervention - a quasi-experimental study

Background: The attitude of nurses influences their application of the Advanced Nursing Process. Studies reveal deficits in the application of the Advanced Nursing Process that is based on valid assessments and nursing classifications. These deficits affect decision-making and - as a result - nursing care quality. In German speaking countries nurses' attitudes towards nursing diagnoses as part of the Advanced Nursing Process were not yet measured. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of an educational intervention on nurses' attitude. Method: A quasi-experimental intervention study was carried out in Austria and Germany. Before and after a standardised educational intervention 51 nurses estimated their attitude with the instrument Positions on Nursing Diagnosis (PND). Analyses were performed by Wilcoxon- and U-tests. Results: Before the educational intervention the average attitude score of the Austrian nurses was more positive than in the German group. After the study intervention both groups regarded nursing diagnostics statistically significant more convincing and better understandable. However, both groups still described the application of the Advanced Nursing Process as difficult and demanding to perform. Implications: In the future, more attention should be given to the reflexion and development of nurses' attitude towards the Advanced Nursing Process because attitudes lead nurses' actions. In further studies influencing organizational and structural factors in diverse settings will be analysed.