Effects of a clinically led combined with "sandwich" teaching on professional performance, learning engagement, and core competencies among cardiac surgery ICU nurses.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of a clinically led framework combined "sandwich" teaching on theoretical knowledge, clinical skills, learning engagement, and core competencies of Cardiac Surgery Intensive Care Unit (CSICU) nurses. METHODS: This study was a single center quasi experimental study, using the sequential cohort allocation method. From November 2024 to April 2025, a total of 60 eligible nurses from the CSICU were included. Nurses who completed training from November 2024 to January 2025 received traditional teaching, whereas those who completed training from February to April 2025 received the combined teaching intervention. Both groups completed the same 3 month, 18 lesson course. Before and after the training, the theoretical knowledge, clinical skills, learning engagement, and core competencies of the two groups of nurses were evaluated and compared. RESULTS: In the intervention group, theoretical knowledge, critical care nursing skills, and specialized technical skills all improved significantly after training (p < 0.05). In the control group, only critical care nursing skills improved significantly; The changes in theoretical knowledge and specialized technical skills were not statistically significant. Post training scores for all three knowledge and skill outcomes were higher in the intervention group than in the control group (p < 0.05). Total learning engagement increased within the intervention group (p < 0.05), but the post training between group difference did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.066). No baseline differences were observed in the five core competency dimensions, whereas all five post training dimension scores were higher in the intervention group (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The clinically led combined "sandwich" teaching model was associated with greater improvements in theoretical knowledge, clinical skill performance, and core competencies among CSICU nurses, its effect on overall learning engagement remains uncertain. This teaching model may serve as an effective educational strategy for CSICU nursing training in specialized surgical settings.