Continued professional development (CPD) provision for nurses: A qualitative exploration

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Education
• Nursing Professional Development
• Workforce Development

Background:

• Continued Professional Development (CPD) is a mandatory requirement for over 1.5 million UK healthcare practitioners.
• Internationally, CPD is crucial for frontline healthcare staff to maintain safe, effective practice and up-to-date skills.
• Specifically for nurses and midwives, CPD ensures they possess updated skills for safe and competent patient care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore strategies for capturing and retaining nursing staff in postgraduate training and education.
• To facilitate professional advancement and maintenance of professional registration for nurses.
• To identify methods for improving patient care through enhanced nursing education and development.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study employing a phenomenological approach.
• Phase one involved online (virtual) focus group discussions and interviews.
• Participants included clinical service leads, advanced practitioners, and matrons involved in workforce development.

Main Results:

• Three primary themes emerged from the study.
• Theme 1: The critical role of healthcare providers in staff development.
• Theme 2: Essential staff support provision requirements for effective CPD.
• Theme 3: The contribution of university provision and CPD offerings.

Conclusions:

• Partnership working between academic institutions and healthcare organizations is vital.
• This collaboration supports nurses in maintaining registration and professional growth through further education and CPD.
• Effective partnerships enhance nurses' ability to develop professionally and contribute to improved patient outcomes.