Abstract:

Background:
The evolution of Estonian nursing education has been rapid and transformative, transitioning from a vocational focus to a modern educational framework. Education plays a pivotal role in the advancement of nursing across the nation. Analyzing the competencies and performance of nurses yields essential insights for the development of strategies to train adept nurses, enhance nursing curricula, implement innovative teaching methodologies, and elevate the standard of nursing education. Understanding nurses' appraisal of their educational experiences facilitates opportunities to augment the caliber of healthcare services and instigate reforms in nursing education.

Objectives:
The objective is to scrutinize the effects that societal and educational shifts have exerted on nurses' perceptions and appraisals of their educational experiences in nursing. This inquiry is embedded within a broader research project that seeks to examine nursing practices within Estonian hospitals through the lens of nursing staff, and to elucidate how various nursing activities—encompassing physical, psychological, social, and spiritual dimensions—correlate with patient well-being, institutional culture, and the work environment.

Methods:
The study was conducted from a positivist standpoint using a quantitative approach. Data were amassed through a cross-sectional survey executed via an online questionnaire, with the subsequent analysis employing descriptive statistical techniques. IBM SPSS Statistics 22.0 served as the analytical tool for the data examination process.

Results:
Participants included nurses from various hospital departments engaged in a developmental network plan, all with a minimum of one year’s professional experience. The survey garnered 172 female respondents, distributed across age groups: 20% aged 21-30, 20% aged 31-40, 31% aged 41-50, and 29% over 51 years of age. The age range spanned from 22 to 72 years, with an average age of 43 and a median of 44. Educational backgrounds varied, with 77% holding higher education qualifications, 14% possessing master's degrees, and 9% having completed vocational training.

Conclusions:
The consensus among the nurses is a favorable assessment of their education, with a pronounced preference for learner-centric over teacher-centric educational models. The satisfaction with their nursing education is apparent, and it is esteemed as a lifelong calling. The uniform positivity in the evaluations across different groups suggests that Estonian nursing education has consistently maintained high standards and that the strategic design of the educational framework has been effective.

References:
[1] Altuntas, S., & Baykal, U. (2017). An analysis of alumni performance: A study of the quality of nursing education. Nurse Education Today, 49, 135-139. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2016.11.022
[2] Baker, C., Cary, A. H., & Da Conceicao Bento, M. (2021). Global standards for professional nursing education: The time is now. Journal of Professional Nursing, 37(1), 86-92. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.profnurs.2020.10.001
[3] GANES. (2019). Global Pillars for Nursing Education. https://ganes.info/#cd0ad453-4836-4407-b303-b3a9a1fe9247

Keywords:

Nursing education, nursing workforce, curriculum development.