Continuing education in Sweden--to what purpose?

Continuing education (CE) or recurrent education has long been used in Sweden to maintain and develop the competence of health care professionals. The purpose of this article is to describe the effects of CE with regards to changes in work activities, cognitive abilities, the use of knowledge, and involvement in research and development projects.

A questionnaire was distributed to all students (966 individuals) in CE courses at the Department of Advanced Nursing Education at Göteborg University, Sweden.

Results indicated that CE leads to enhanced work satisfaction, extended work relevant competence, the attainment of professional goals, and enhanced self-confidence. The results further suggest that CE has not led to increased salaries, more power or authority, or greater possibilities to influence working situations.

CE leads to positive development at the level of individual knowledge and competence but is not always reflected in changes in the respondents' working situations or in forms of rewards. The question is: How long are nurses prepared to continue raising their professional competence without compensation in terms of higher pay, better professional recognition, and new duties?