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Evaluation of Alabama's mandatory continuing education program for reasonableness, access, and value
Jean B Lazarus1, Anne Permaloff, Charlie J Dickson
1Alabama Board of Nursing, Montgomery 36130-3900, USA.
Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing
|June 6, 2002
Summary
Mandatory continuing education (MCE) for nurses is seen as reasonable and valuable for practice, though concerns exist regarding cost, access, and presentation quality. This impacts nursing competence and public protection.
Area of Science:
- Nursing Education
- Healthcare Quality Control
- Regulatory Impact Assessment
Background:
- The Alabama Board of Nursing evaluated mandatory continuing education (MCE) regulations for licensure.
- The study assessed licensee perceptions of MCE reasonableness, access, and value.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact and effectiveness of MCE regulations for nursing licensure.
- To understand nurses' perceptions of MCE rules.
Main Methods:
- Employed evaluation research methods, including surveys of 406 RNs and LPNs.
- Utilized both qualitative and quantitative data analysis techniques.
Main Results:
- Nurses found MCE requirements reasonable and valuable, applying them to practice.
- Concerns were raised about the cost, accessibility, and quality of CE presentations.
- License type influenced perceptions of rights and responsibilities.
Conclusions:
- MCE is crucial for maintaining nursing competence and ensuring public protection.
- High noncompliance rates in MCE audits have significant enforcement implications.