E-discourse and continuing professional education: the fusion of nursing knowledge and informatics to close the...

Several modes of electronic discourse (e-discourse) are currently used by nurses, and have potential for meeting their formal and informal continuing professional education (CPE) needs. After defining e-discourse in relation to computer-mediated communications (CMC), the author outlines some recent examples of it use. There follows discussion of the argument that, through e-discourse, nurses can reflect on their practice, incorporating and developing theory and meet their CPE needs. Some important constraining issues are presented, and the author suggests that, for many nurses, e-discourse will have more educational application than multimedia in the foreseeable future. The paper is set within the context of UK requirements, but the issues raised are pertinent to nurses around the world, particularly where CPE is incorporated within the re-registration cycle.