Continuing professional development in nursing in Australia: Current awareness, practice and future directions

Abstract

Australian nurses and midwives are expected to compile a professional development portfolio during their annual registration process. This study aimed to ascertain the current understanding, practice and future continuing professional development (CPD) needs of nurses and midwives employed in a regional area of Queensland, Australia. Perceived barriers and incentives for CPD were also measured. 289 public and private hospital nurses and midwives responded to the survey. Results showed that participants understood the new requirements, valued ongoing learning, preferred education to occur within work hours, and considered their workplaces as accepting of change. Approximately two-thirds of participants believed CPD should be shared between them and their employers. Barriers to undertaking CPD included understaffing, and the concern that CPD would interfere with time outside work. Organisational support positively influenced attitudes to CPD. This study highlights the importance of supportive management in encouraging their workforce to embrace ongoing learning and change.

Workplace continuing education for nurses caring for hospitalised older people

“…We were surprised at the rate of attrition, given that there was funding for staffing replacement for programme participants. This echoes previous studies on nurses’ experiences with continuing education (Gould et al., ; Katsikitis et al., ). Despite using multiple recruitment strategies, some units had an overrepresentation of participants in the programme.…”

Organizational impact of nurse supply and workload on nurses continuing professional development opportunities: an integrative review

“…, Katsikitis et al . ). These studies provided similar data on the impact of the supply of nurses and nursing workload on CPD opportunities.…”

The limitations of access to continuing professional development amongst Australia's rural sonographers and its effect on job satisfaction: A pilot study

“…CPD provides the opportunity for health professionals to remain engaged in best practice principles. This ultimately translates to improved work commitment and job satisfaction, as well as continued improvements to patient care . Research has highlighted the important role of the employer; by creating a supportive learning environment, the workplace can simultaneously become both a site of work and a site dedicated to learning .…”