PREVIEW NOTES
Use of technologies in programs of permanent education in health: an experimental study
Adriane das Neves Silva1, Benedito Carlos Cordeiro2
1,2 Fluminense Federal University
ABSTRACT
The study focuses on the contribution of technologies in the programs of permanent education for nursing professionals.
Aims: to analyze the application of information and communication technologies in the permanent education of nursing assistants and technicians; to compare the information obtained by the nursing assistants and technicians who use a virtual learning environment (VLE) and those who are involved in traditional hands-on training and; to evaluate the applicability of information and communication technology in the programs of permanent education in health for nursing assistants and technicians.
Method: this is an experimental study, incorporating a clinical essay type of data collection, with a quantitative approach, to be performed in a municipal public hospital, located in the municipality of Duque de Caxias. The subjects of the research will be 60 nursing assistants and technicians that work in the health studies unit. The expected period for data collection will be from November 2013 to January 2014.
Descriptors: Education, Continuing; Education, Distance; Health Human Resource Training; Information Systems
PROBLEM SITUATION AND ITS SIGNIFICANCE
Considering the many changes that occur in work environments, the development of the abilities and competencies of health professionals has become of considerable importance, permitting these professionals to adapt to a new model of healthcare assistance. The technological advancements in the caring environment have encouraged an improvement in the methods of education in nursing, as a means of accommodating these professionals to the new reality of their labor market(1). The initiatives established by the Brazilian Unified Health System in terms of permanent education programs search for solutions to the problems presented by the health professionals. Nurses are part of multidisciplinary teams, and experience the same processes of change in the field of health. They also have to consolidate their position in regard to practice beyond the integration of information. This also involves the development of technical abilities and changes to attitude such as to permit more assertive decision-making processes. In order to guarantee the quality of healthcare services through the development of fully qualified professionals, the issue of permanent health education (EPS, in Portuguese) has arisen as public policy in Brazil, under Ordinance GM 198 as of February 13th 2004(2). The proposal behind the EPS policy is to break away from the traditional models that were being used, and which distanced health professionals from training courses. The objective of the ordinance was that the teaching and learning should be incorporated with the daily routines of the organizations concerned, and with social and labor practices. The intense penetration of information and communication technologies in the daily life of modern society, especially in terms of access to the Internet and mobile communication, has permitted the emergence of new alternatives such that learners can use new modes to access education and the opportunity for professional improvement(3).
Therefore, when considering permanent education as a strategy to change health practices, we cannot ignore the great contribution of modern technologies in terms of their flexibility with regard to the reorganization of work processes, from improvement in the development of competencies, and consequently in terms of production processes.
AIMS
To analyze the application of information and communication technologies to the permanent education programs of nursing assistants and technicians; to compare the information gathered by nursing assistants and technicians that use a virtual learning environment (VLE) and those who had are involved in traditional hands-on training and; to evaluate the applicability of information and communication technologies in EPS programs for nursing assistants and technicians.
HYPOTHESIS
The use of new information and communication technologies improve the permanent education programs for nursing assistants and technicians.
METHOD
This is an experimental study, incorporating a clinic essay type of data collection, with a quantitative approach, to be performed in a municipal public hospital in the municipality of Duque de Caxias, Brazil.
The subjects of this research will be 60 nursing assistants and technicians that work in the unit in which this research will take place. The exclusion criterion of this study relate to professionals on annual or medical leave. The data will be collected by using two questionnaires, one to characterize the population, and the other in the form of a pre-test/post-test type of questionnaire, which will be applied to the control group and to the experimental group before and after training in order to evaluate the understanding of the information provided.
The population will be randomly divided in two groups - groups A and B. Group A will have the lessons in the unit during working hours over two hour periods, while group B will use computers, at a time to be decided upon by the user.
The analysis of the data will be performed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) in order to test the average difference between the groups. The technicians will be analyzed in terms of the pre and post-test result, according to the types of learning groups (present and distance learning).This research project was submitted to the Ethics in Research Committee in order to fulfill the requirements described in the Resolution 466/12, of the Brazilian National Health Council.
REFERENCES
1. Aquino PS, Pinheiro AKB. Educational technology in the teaching of nursing in contraception - preview note. Online braz j nurs [ Internet ]. 2009 July [ cited 2013 Aug 31 ] 8 (2). Available from: http://www.objnursing.uff.br/index.php/nursing/article/view/2463
2. Ministério da Saúde (BR). Secretaria de Gestão do Trabalho e da Educação na Saúde. Departamento de Gestão da Educação em Saúde. Política Nacional de Educação Permanente em Saúde. Brasília: Ministério da Saúde; 2009.
3. Netto MLA; Loyolla W. As tecnologias da informação e comunicação na formação de trabalhadores. In: Trindade MAB (org.). As tecnologias da informação e comunicação (TIC) no desenvolvimento profissional de trabalhadores do SUS. São Paulo: Instituto de Saúde; 2011. p:177-217. Disponível em http://www5.ensp.fiocruz.br/biblioteca/dados/txt_815179395.pdf. Acesso em: 16 Jun 2013.
DATA OF THE PROJECT
Dissertation project of the Professional Master Program in Education in Health of Fluminense Federal University. Under appreciation of the Ethics in Research Committee, according to CAAE 20431213.2.0000.5243
Tutor: Benedito Carlos Cordeiro
Email: adrianeneves@bol.com.br
Received: 27/08/2013
Revised: 10/09/2013
Approved: 12/09/2013