Background The number of children with complex care needs has increased in recent decades and many of them are cared for in the community. Nurses may require additional training and education to provide optimal care to these children.

Aim To establish whether nurses providing care to children with complex needs in the community feel prepared for their role and whether they require additional education and/or training, and to identify the essential skills and knowledge required to provide care to children with complex needs in the community.

Method A quantitative descriptive study was conducted with nurses employed by private providers to care for children with complex needs in the community across the Republic of Ireland. The study used an existing online survey validated through a literature review, an expert panel review and a pilot study.

Findings A total of 62 nurses responded, 53% of them (n=33) stating that their current education met their requirements when caring for children with complex needs in the community. There was a small positive correlation between the number of years of nursing experience and whether respondents thought their educational requirements were being met. More experienced respondents identified a need for continuing education and less experienced respondents identified a need for community placements during preregistration education. Assisted ventilation, non-invasive ventilation and tracheostomy care were the three top subject areas in terms of the usefulness of their inclusion in an educational programme designed to enhance the knowledge and skills of nurses providing care to children with complex needs in the community.

Conclusion The findings reinforce the need for specific training and continuing education for specialist nurses caring for children with complex needs and their families in the community.