The Need for Nursing Education in the Care of Adults With Congenital Heart Defects

Background: The population of adults with congenital heart defects is rapidly expanding. Formal and informal nursing education offers little if any training in the care of adults with congenital heart defects, creating a disparity between the growing need for care for these patients and the availability of knowledgeable providers. Methods: A needs assessment survey was conducted to assess educational needs, use of available resources, and learning method preferences of nurses within a Midwestern community hospital (N = 800). The convenience sample included 269 responses (n = 269). A pilot survey was conducted with a subset of the population (n = 18). Results: The results showed a poor understanding of adults with congenital heart defects, with findings similar to those of previous studies. Conclusion: Providing education may help to prepare nurses to care for adults with congenital heart defects as these patients are seen in increasing numbers in all areas of health care. J Contin Educ Nurs 2013;44(2):81-88.