Continuing professional development among social- and health-care educators

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Education
• Professional Development
• Social Work Education

Background:

• Future social and health-care educators need versatile competence for evolving healthcare environments.
• Continuing professional development (CPD) enhances educator competence, well-being, and organizational effectiveness.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the continuing professional development of social and health-care educators.
• To clarify the contribution of continuing education to their professional growth.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative research approach due to limited existing data.
• Group interviews with 35 experienced social and health-care educators across Finnish institutions.
• Inductive content analysis to identify themes in professional development.

Main Results:

• Educators utilize diverse methods for CPD, including formal courses and informal workplace collaboration.
• Key barriers identified were lack of planning, resources, scheduling, and financial constraints.
• Continuing education needs are individual and should align with, but not be limited by, organizational goals.

Conclusions:

• CPD for social and health-care educators is multifaceted, involving both structured learning and daily practice.
• Addressing identified barriers is crucial for effective educator development.
• Tailoring CPD to individual needs alongside organizational objectives is recommended for optimal outcomes.