Master Trainer (MT) training (second batch) completed, with a total of 64 MTs certified by the first and second batches

The second batch of Master Trainer (MT) training was held at the National Institute of Advanced Nursing Education and Research (NIANER) in Dhaka for 12 days from 16^th to 28^th November 2024. This is the second batch of MT training, following the first batch training held in February 2024 ^*1 . MTs are expected to take a leading role in planning and implementing the training and other activities based on their institutions' needs, aiming to strengthen the capacity of faculty members and nurses at their colleges and hospitals.

The second batch was planned to be implemented in September 2024 but had to be postponed several times due to the political unrest in Bangladesh. The eagerly anticipated training by both project organizers and participants was finally conducted.

A total of 33 college faculties and hospital nurses participated in the second batch, all of whom were certified as MT. As a result, 64 MTs were trained in total, three from each nursing college and five from each collaborative hospital in the first and second batches.

The selection criteria for candidates and subjects were the same as in the first batch, but based on the experience of the first batch, the time allocation for lectures and practice sessions in each subject, lecture content and pre/post-tests were revised. It consisted of the same interactive implementation methods as the first batch, including discussions, group work, role-plays, practical exercises, and presentations.

The average percentage of correct answers in the post-test among participants increased by 26.2% compared to the pre-test. In addition, according to the results of a questionnaire conducted after the training, the participants' satisfaction rating was 4.5/5 points. This indicates that the MT training increased the participants' knowledge as MTs and that the training content was very fulfilling.

The top three selected subjects (up to two multiple responses) that would be useful in their future work were ‘Preparation for continuous professional development (CPD) in nursing' (12%), ‘Behaviour change communication (BCC)’ (9%) and ‘Introduction of CPD in Nursing’ (7.6%). The fact that CPD-related subjects occupied two of the top three positions suggests that participants had a good understanding of the importance and significance of CPD in nursing, which is the fundamental concept of MT training, and the large impact that these subjects had on them. This was because in the second batch, the Faculty Development (FD ^*2 ) training in nursing colleges and Clinical Nurse Teachers (CNT) training in a collaborative hospital conducted by MTs trained in the first batch were introduced with photos as examples of CPD activities to help them understand the concept of the activities, and the MT candidates in the second batch who had participated in the FD/CNT training gave concrete examples of how the training had been conducted, and it helped to stimulate each other.

The action plans were presented by the participants on the last day of the training. Lots of participants mentioned that they would share the content of the MT training with their principal/nursing superintendent, and colleagues and prepare for FD/CNT training in linkage with the committee activities. Action plans are advised to be as concrete as possible and lead to future implementation. The project will continuously follow up on their activities after the MT training.

The results of this MT training were shared with the Directorate General of Nursing and Midwifery (DGNM), and the Director General of DGNM, who had observed the training on the first day and delivered the opening remarks, gave positive feedback on this training. Based on the experience from the first and second batches of MT training, the project will revise the training module, and the final version will be submitted to the Government of Bangladesh to aim for the government’s leadership to continue training after the project's completion.

*1 See also our Project News: “ Conducted Master Trainer Training for lecturers and nurses from target nursing colleges and collaborative hospitals.”, 29^th February 2024.
*2 Faculty Development (FD): Practical methods for developing the teaching skills of college and university teachers. Institutional initiatives to encourage teachers to improve and enhance the content and methodology of their teaching.