References
Factors influencing nurses' engagement with CPD activities: a systematic review
Abstract
Background:
Continuing professional development (CPD) is necessary for nurse registration and development. Understanding the factors influencing engagement may enhance CPD uptake.
Review question:
What factors influence hospital-based nurses' engagement with CPD activities in the UK?
Design:
This was a systematic review incorporating narrative synthesis. Database searches for published and grey literature from January 1995 to November 2018 were conducted via EBSCO Discovery Service, the British Nursing Index and the British Library.
Review methods:
An approved systematic review protocol was followed with studies then assessed against strict inclusion and exclusion criteria. Included studies were critically appraised, data extracted and a narrative synthesis conducted.
Findings:
Five studies were reviewed. Four themes emerged: nurses' individual resources, their professional motivation, organisational commitment to learning and development, and managerial support.
Conclusion:
Factors influencing nurses' engagement with activities are multifaceted and inter-woven. A question-based checklist to facilitate discussions between nurses and educators, managers or appraisers is presented.
Nurses represent the largest proportion of health professionals (Haddad et al, 2020). Regulatory bodies influence nurse education, set standards and seek to advance the profession, while striving to ensure care is well-informed, person-centred and compassionate (American Nurses Association, 2015; Willis, 2015; Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA), 2018; Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), 2018a). Wong et al's (2015) analysis of World Health Organization documents identified nursing education as a global concern and acknowledged that better postregistration continuing professional development (CPD) education enables nurses to question care, provide quality care and develop extended skills.
Since 1995, CPD has been mandatory for UK nurses (Beaumont and Stainton, 2016). Governments, employers and regulators expect nurses to keep themselves up to date (Willis, 2015; NMC, 2017; NMBA, 2018). ‘Revalidation’ requires nurses to undertake a minimum of 35 hours of CPD relevant to their scope of practice over 3 years to maintain registration (NMC, 2019). Internationally, numerous activities are available (Hughes and Quinn, 2013; Bungeroth et al, 2018). Local identification of activities is encouraged, with precise requirements varying (Wong et al, 2015; NMBA, 2016; NMC, 2017).
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