The purpose of this research study was to evaluate whether or not nurse anesthesia continuing education seminars are perceived as meeting the needs of practitioners in terms of knowledge, skill, decision making, and directions for the future. This study surveyed the attitudes of certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) utilizing a mailed questionnaire that was sent to a sample of current members of the Minnesota Association of Nurse Anesthetists (n = 117). A response rate of 46.8% was obtained. The results suggest that there is a gap between the perceived importance of content areas, effectiveness of topic coverage, and ability to incorporate seminar skills and information into clinical practice. Improvements in nurse anesthesia continuing education should therefore be made. Content areas need to be covered in a more effective manner to enable practitioners to apply the information they receive into their own practice. CRNAs also want more opportunity for hands-on skill activities at continuing education seminars.

Seminar providers should explore the possibility of providing unique continuing education seminars to practitioners based on their educational level, geographic location, and/or employment setting needs. A greater effort must be put forth to improve the cognitive, affective, and psychomotor domains of seminar participants, and encourage them to become more than passive participants at seminars. In addition, virtual-reality simulations and data from continuous quality improvement (CQI) should be explored and developed for future continuing education seminars.