Needs assessment for master of nursing program among Kenyan nurses

Background: Nurses comprise the dominant cadre of healthcare workers yet there remains an acute shortage of nurses globally with Africa most affected. However, access to higher nursing education in sub-Saharan Africa remains limited. We aimed to i) Assess the need for a Master of Nursing (MScN) program among graduate nurses in Kenya ii) Identify preferred MScN program options among graduate nurses intending to enrol for MScN in Kenya iii) Identify skills mismatch among graduate nurses in Kenya iv) Assess the relationship between intention to enrol in MScN program and job satisfaction among graduate nurses in Kenya. Methods: A cross-sectional design employing an online survey was used. Consenting nurses with a first degree in nursing were included. Socio-demographic indicators, job satisfaction and skills mismatch were assessed. The need for an MScN program was assessed by determining the proportion of participants who expressed the desire to pursue an MScN program. Preferred MScN program options were determined as frequencies and proportions. Skills mismatch was computed as frequencies and proportions. The relationship between the need for MScN and job satisfaction was assessed using the point biserial-correlation. Results: Of the 355 volunteers enrolled, (n = 337, 94.9% [95% CI: 92.1–96.9]) expressed the desire to pursue MScN training with the critical care/renal specialty (n = 84, 24.9% [95% CI: 20.3–29.9]) being the most preferred. A majority of the volunteers (n = 319, 89.9%) felt their skills were inferior to their responsibilities (under skilled). We found no significant correlation between the need for MScN and job satisfaction (r = 0.058; p = 0.269). Conclusion: Our findings suggest a strong desire by graduate nurses in Kenya to pursue MScN with a preference for critical care specialization. There is a need to establish more MScN programs in Kenya coupled with the deployment of nurses as per the scope of practice.