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Australian Journal of Primary Health Australian Journal of Primary Health Society
The issues influencing community health services and primary health care
RESEARCH ARTICLE

e-Learning competency for practice nurses: an evaluation report

Marie Heartfield A C , Andrea Morello A , Melanie Harris A , Sharon Lawn A , Vincenza Pols A , Carolyn Stapleton B and Malcolm Battersby A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Flinders Human Behaviour and Health Research Unit, The Margaret Tobin Centre, Flinders University, PO Box 2100, Adelaide, SA 5001, Australia.

B Australian Medicare Local Alliance, PO Box 4308, Manuka, ACT 2603, Australia.

C Corresponding author. Email: marie.heartfield@flinders.edu.au

Australian Journal of Primary Health 19(4) 287-291 https://doi.org/10.1071/PY13033
Submitted: 1 March 2013  Accepted: 5 August 2013   Published: 18 October 2013

Abstract

Practice nurses in Australia are now funded to facilitate chronic condition management, including self-management support. Chronic disease management requires an established rapport, support and proactivity between general practitioners, patients and the practice nurses. To achieve this, training in shared decision making is needed. e-Learning supports delivery and achievement of such policy outcomes, service improvements and skill development. However, e-learning effectiveness for health care professionals’ is determined by several organisational, economic, pedagogical and individual factors, with positive e-learning experience linked closely to various supports. This paper reinforces previous studies showing nurses’ expanding role across general practice teams and reports on some of the challenges of e-learning. Merely providing practice nurses with necessary information via web-based learning systems does not ensure successful learning or progress toward improving health outcomes for patients.


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