Online learning: a means to enhance professional development.

E. Paige Benson is an e-learning consultant ([email protected]) who helps health-care organizations define, create, implement, and evaluate complex learning solutions and a nurse educator at Stanford Hospital and Clinics, Stanford, Calif. Online learning offers a means of self-directed education with improved learning through interac-tivity. 10-16 Learners retain 10% of what they read, 30% of what they see, 50% of what they see and hear, and 90% of what they act on. 14,15,17 The level of a learner's engagement with online content is largely determined by the amount of interactivity offered and the integration of the online program with other delivery options. High levels of interactivity require learners to actively participate, greatly enhancing the retention and transfer of learning. 18 Computer-based training has been in use since monitoring equipment with simulated rhythms taught users how to interpret dysrhythmias. 16 For nurses, computer-based training is as effective as 10,19,20 or more effective than 19,20 lecture (or traditional training methods), and a blend of the 2 approaches offers the most cognitive improvement. 10 Educators who have researched online learning cite cost-effectiveness, use of different instructional strategies , 11-13,17,19-21 and providing consistent information 12,13 as advantages of computer-based training. A myriad of barriers can prevent educators and bedside nurses from providing and achieving competency and professional development in a timely fashion. These barriers include unsupportive managers, 23-25 staff issues, 23-25 availability of programs , In 1985, the American Nurses Association stated that every nurse is responsible for maintaining com-petency by keeping knowledge and skills current. 1 The Joint Commission for Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations further requires that nurses meet minimum educational requirements and verify this knowledge through competency-based assessments and actual performance in the nurses' environment. 2-5 The escalation of the shortage of nurses and cost constraints create challenges for nurse educators to provide the necessary education and monitor competence. According to estimates , what a nurse knows today will be outdated in 2 to 5 years. 6-8 Educators must seek alternative methods to provide initial and ongoing education that is efficient and cost-effective and supports the development and documentation of nurses' competence. In this article, I describe the advantages and challenges of online learning as a means to enhance professional development and clinical knowledge.