ABSTRACT

Approaches to health care, especially the downfall of the competency

of nurses to perform interventions, had rapidly changed over the past decade.

One of the mechanisms that hospitals now employ against stagnation and

incompetence of nurses is the provision of staff development programs. This

study sought to assess the staff development program of emergency service

units of public and private tertiary hospitals.

A total of 35 respondents from public and private tertiary hospitals in

Southern Metro Manila were included in this study composing of emergency

room nurses. The study utilized a descriptive method in order to assess the

staff development programs provided by these hospitals. A research tool

includes the demographic profiles of the respondents and the assessment of

the staff development programs, specifically continuing education,

competency development and in-service education. This study hypothesized

that there is no significant difference on the staff development programs in

private and public hospitals as assessed by ER nurses. Also hypothesized is

that there is no significant relationship among the demographic profiles of the

respondents and their assessment of staff development programs.

Findings revealed that both hospitals scored high on continuing

education, competency development and in-service education. Highest mean

was noted on senior-junior staff mentorship (x=3.74). Lowest observed mean

was on the provision of journals and reading materials that aids ER nurses in

keeping abreast with developments and trends in emergency nursing. Data

that length of service affects the provision of staff development programs,

while gender influences otherwise. Significant difference was noted on

continuing education and in-service education between private and public

tertiary hospital.

Preceding such findings, the researchers suggest further and

continuous effort to improve the staff development program for nurses to

private and public tertiary hospitals, and internal analysis on the part of the

hospital to assess the learning needs of its nurses.