An analysis of the educational needs priorities for clinical nurse educators: Utilizing the Borich needs assessment and the locus for focus model

Abstract

Purpose: This study used a descriptive investigative design to compare the educational needs and priorities of education-dedicated nurses and preceptors regarding clinical nurse educator competency.Methods: A survey was conducted from March to April 2023 with 308 participants, including 140 education-dedicated nurses and 168 preceptors. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and a paired t-test with the IBM SPSS 26.0 program. For the purpose of analyzing educational needs, we further analyzed data through the Borich needs assessment and the locus for focus model.Results: Among the clinical nurse educator competency, both education-dedicated nurses and preceptors identified “new theory and practice” as the highest priority educational need. Additionally, education-dedicated nurses prioritized “teaching design ability,” “teaching evaluation ability,” and “evidence-based nursing/practice and research,” while preceptors prioritized “clinical nursing knowledge” and “professional development ability” as their educational needs.Conclusion: While both education-dedicated nurses and preceptors responded that education is necessary for all the competency areas required of clinical nurse educators, variations were observed in their reported educational needs and priorities. Thus, it is imperative to develop and implement a differentiated education program for enhancing the competency of clinical nurse educators that considers the distinct requirements of education-dedicated nurses and preceptors.