An Examination of Factors That Self Education Among Nurses

Abstract

To investigate the factors influencing self-education among nurses, an online survey was conducted involving 1,030 currently practicing nursing staff, including registered nurses and licensed practical nurses. The results indicated that tendencies toward self-education were associated with institutional size, marital status, parental status, and the highest level of nursing education attained. In 2023, the Japan Nursing Association established lifelong learning guidelines that underscore the necessity for nursing professionals to engage proactively in continuous education. Historically, continuing education for nurses has been predominantly delivered through in-service programs provided by their employing institutions. The current findings similarly suggest that self-education varies according to the size of the institution. Nursing staff working in facilities without inpatient beds and those with fewer than 300 beds exhibited lower levels of self-directed learning, indicating that their professional development largely relies on the educational opportunities offered by their institutions. To realize the vision of lifelong learning set forth by the Japan Nursing Association, it will be essential to move beyond a sole dependence on institution-based continuing education and to develop innovative mechanisms that foster self-education among nurses, irrespective of institutional size.