For effective training program on nursing education system in Southeast Asia: Lessons learnt from the training evaluation

Abstract

Purpose

  The training for “Strengthening Human Resource Development for Nursing and Midwifery in Southeast Asia” was implemented in order to strengthen the nursing education system in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the training using the training evaluation guide suggested by WHO; and to explore factors for training program to be effective, issues, and lessons.

Methods

  The WHO training evaluation guide which has five evaluation levels was modified as a tool to evaluate the training. Data were collected from training evaluations questionnaire, meeting records during training, and records of interviews conducted during follow-up visits. The factors for training to be effective, issues, and lessons were inductively identified by methodological triangulation from the results of training evaluations, the summary of training feedback from participants and the results of action plan progress.

Results and Discussion

  The training was evaluated as effective that not only achieved “Level 1: Reaction and Satisfaction” and “Level 2: Learning”, but also “Level 3: Behavior”. The factors for training to be effective were (1) practical content through sharing experiences among multi-country participants in neighboring countries, (2) selection of suitable trainees by setting the training language as the native language of each participating country, (3)lecture documents in native language facilitated sharing of the learning with relevant people in one’s own country, (4) maintain trainees’ motivation to implement action plans following an agreement with trainees during the training to confirm action plan progress through follow-up visits, and (5) pre-visiting each participating country to explain the training outline makes relevant people’s much understanding of the training and interest in the action plan. Lessons learned were the importance of the definitions of technical terminology in each country’s native language and the efficacy of follow-up visits. Future issues are: “Level 4: Results”, support for each participant’s needs and “Level 5: Impact”, the development of mechanisms for continued sharing of experiences.

Conclusions

  Our evaluation confirmed the effective factors　for training, issues, and lessons. These are needed to be considered for the future training.