Influences Shaping Nurses' Continuing Professional Education Choices and Learning Pathways: An Exploratory Case...

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Professional Development
• Healthcare Policy

Background:

• Nurses require continuing professional education (CPE) to maintain current knowledge and competencies in complex healthcare environments.
• A shift in CPE trends indicates a move away from individual nurse learning towards organizational and regulatory requirements, potentially impacting professional development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the factors influencing nurses' choices in continuing professional education (CPE).
• To understand the professional learning pathways nurses undertake.
• To investigate the diverse ways nurses engage in learning.

Main Methods:

• An exploratory case study design was employed, focusing on later-career nurses in Nova Scotia, Canada.
• Data collection involved semi-structured interviews, analysis of participant artifacts, and review of government and regulatory policy documents.
• Critical and post-structural feminist lenses were utilized for data analysis.

Main Results:

• Three primary themes emerged: sociocultural context, structural/systems context, and shifting knowledge forms influencing CPE.
• Findings indicate that educational discourse, influenced by regulatory, government, and employer policies, directed nurses towards CPE aligned with employment and regulatory mandates.
• Nursing knowledge appears shaped to meet organizational needs, reflecting external policy influences.

Conclusions:

• Sociocultural expectations (e.g., family responsibilities) and structural influences within healthcare and regulation significantly shape nurses' CPE choices and learning pathways.
• Current influences tend to align nurses' professional development with system needs, potentially limiting individual growth.
• There is a need for CPE programs that empower, rather than restrict, nurses' continued professional development.