CPD Nursing Issues - Essay Example

?CPD NURSING The attainment of nursing education is important for nurses because it equips them with the skills and knowledge they require in their profession. However, it is very evident that society’s health needs are ever changing and there are new challenges emerging every day in the health care field as noted by Bulman and Schutz (2004). This means that there is a high need for continued education/ new learning for nurses so as to enable the them meet these changing health needs and tackle the upcoming challenges. This paper explores CPD as an essential tool for improving the skills and knowledge of professional nursing practice. Definition Continuing professional development (CPD) refers to the commitment to structured enhancement and broadening of skills, knowledge, competency and expertise by professionals, and the development of professional and personal qualities needed throughout their professional lives (Quinn,1998). In this way, CPD becomes a means through which professionals maintain their skills, knowledge competency and qualities related to their specific professional lives (Alsop, 2000). CPD can also be described as the education that professionals in various fields undertake after their formal training. It mainly consists of any educational or training activity that helps professionals to maintain, increase or develop knowledge, technical skills, problem-solving or professional performance standards. It is therefore a means through which professional can demonstrate their continued commitment to competent performance in a framework that is relevant, fair, transferrable, inclusive and formative. CPD includes self-directed activities as well as formal activities. Formal activities include conferences, workshops and courses whereas self-directed activities include directed reading and preceptorship (Quinn,1998). Learning in CPD could be delivered in group sessions within the workplace or away from the workplace or work-based programmes specifically designed to meet the needs of individual professional and their employers. Daly et al (2004) state that the main aim of CPD is to ensure that nurses and other professionals provide improved healthcare services to their patients and the society at large. In all professions, CPD as a learning initiative could be undertaken either as an initiative of an individual professional or the initiative of professional institutions, governments or employers. How CPD is related to lifelong learning CPD is related to lifelong learning in that both CPD and lifelong education involve a continuous building of knowledge and skills. They both occur through experiences encountered in the lifetime of an individual and this means that their learning objectives are meant to address their inadequacies or incompetency in some specific areas an individual has noted. Both CPD and lifelong learning are continuous. This means that the acquisition of knowledge does not have a designated ending period (Bulman and Schutz 2004). Instead, it continues as long as the individual is still willing and capable of learning. Both CPD and lifelong learning are a result of personal interest hence learning is voluntary and self-motivated according to Quinn (1998). Learning in both cases is learner directed hence education or curriculum is designed to meet the needs of the individual and their learning objectives and not individual fitting themselves into a pre-set curriculum and learning objectives. In both cases, the individual has a chance to learn through formal experiences like counselling, training, tutoring, apprenticeship, mentorship or higher education, as well as informal experiences like mass media. CPD and lifelong education are also related in that CPD takes place throughout the working life of a professional. This means it covers the individual’s working lifespan just as lifelong learning. How CPD can improve the standard and quality of nursing practice According to Chinn and Kramer (2004), CPD is a good means through which nurses are helped to have a better understanding of their work environment, they work they do and how to do it better. This is because in CPD, learning takes place in the working environment and reference is made to the same environment when undertaking the CPD. an important feature of CPD is that learning in CPD is a cycle which begins by reviewing personal practice and from this, learning needs are identified. These learning needs form the basis for planning for learning and taking part in relevant learning activities. This is followed by a reflection of the relevance and value of those activities. This will lead to the identification of other learning needs to be addressed later on. From the above explanation of CPD, it is relevant to state that CPD acts as an eye opener for nurses to have a broader understanding of the workplace they have always practiced in. Apart from gaining a better understanding of the work environment, CPD also enables nurses to have a greater insight of their roles in health care setting while offering them better ways of undertaking the same roles even within the same environment Cherry and Jacob (2008). For example, their specific roles in a surgical team or how better to address disease outbreaks within the health care setting. According to Palmer et al (1994), CPD ensures that the skill, knowledge and competency acquired by nurses during their professional study remain current and updated. This is to say that nurses are in a position to learn new knowledge that emerges in their profession and integrate it with their existing professional knowledge. This therefore ensures that the knowledge, skills and competency possesses by the nurses is transferrable and applicable to their current professional practice and is enough to address the existing and emerging challenges in health care (Quinn, 2000). The new knowledge and competency acquired could include new methods of treatment, patient care, record keeping, preparation of medications and treatment of emerging or rare diseases. In this way, CPD ensures that the performance of nurses is improved leading to improved patient outcomes. CPD also equips nurses with knowledge on how to use new technology in the nursing profession. As a result of this, the undertaking of CPD ensures that nurses are competent enough to utilise these technology. This puts them in a better position to handle their patients in a more modern way as compared to if they were not knowledgeable on how to use modern technology (Cherry and Jacob, 2008). CPD also improves the competency of nurses to conduct patient diagnosis because modern technologies help in attaining better diagnosis of patient conditions (Quinn,1998). This knowledge also facilitates nurses to work alongside other professionals in the health care field for example as part of surgical teams. The improved level of competency enables nurses to attain some level of autonomy in their professional practice for example, they will no longer supervision of a doctor when undertaking some delicate or special duties. CPD is an ongoing process throughout the lives of the nurses. This means that CPD is a good way of ensuring that nurses engage in reflective practice (Quinn, 1998). Nurses are in a position to assess themselves for any improvements in their professional practice in terms of skills, knowledge, competency and confidence as they undertake nursing CPD. If little or no improvements have been gained, the individual has a chance to undertake more specialised learning to ensure they gain the required skills and knowledge Cherry and Jacob (2008). CPD is therefore important for nurses who have set personal minimal professional performance standards as a personal or group challenge. Kolb (1984) explains that nurses can also undertake CPD as part of personal ambition to enhance their career prospects, become a better practitioner or simply to gain more confidence in their work. In this way, CPD becomes a very important tool for making the nursing practice more fulfilling as a result of the improved competence and confidence. Confidence is important for proper handling of patients by nurses. This is because if a nurse is not patient enough, they might end up avoiding dealing with patients more directly. It also challenges them to take more challenging tasks than they had ever done before as a way of experimenting their learned knowledge and skills. Nurses are able to develop more competency and confidence in their profession because of CPD activities aimed at developing practical skills. These are mainly short courses that are highly focus or those that are specifically designed to improve theoretical knowledge and deeper understanding based on critical analysis of the specific working practices over an extended time period (Bulman and Schutz, 2004). Where appropriate, CPD can lead to qualifications at different levels leading to a nurse gaining recognition of gaining skills. This is especially true in situations where nurses undertake supervised nursing practice for the skills learned. How CPD can contribute towards competency in nursing knowledge and skills Although CPD is important part of the working life of a nurse, it is also a means though which nurses can be supported by their employers. Clinton (2004) states that in this way, CPD helps to review nursing working practices and hence it can facilitate access to training that is specialised and structured by the nurses. Generally, CPD is a tool through which nurses are able to get more informed of the changes taking place every day in their profession (Quinn,1998). It then provides a means through which these nurses are able to keep abreast with these changes, broaden their professional skills, knowledge and competency. The ultimate result of this is that nurses are kept in a position of being able to work more effectively. Some nurses could also undertake nursing CPD as a requirement by professionals bodies for purposes of maintaining professional status. CPD could as well be undertaken by nurses as part of meeting targets that have already been set by schemes dealing with the management of workforce performance. Whichever the motivation or reason for undertaking the nursing CPD, nurses are put in a better position to undertake continued education relating to their professional practice. This means that CPD provide the best alternative way for attaining higher professional qualifications after formal training. It also eliminates financial barriers to improved learning for example high tuition fees for acquiring a specialised or advanced degree. Some nurses could undertake CPD as a means of achieving a change in their career paths Cherry and Jacob (2008). In this way, such nurses are equipped with a wider range of knowledge than those that undertake CPD under the same career path. This means that the competency range for such nurses will be widened and hence they will be better equipped to work in a variety of healthcare situations and handle more complex patient situations in their workplaces. According to Kolb (1984), CPD entails learning from experience. This is the best way of learning because it helps the nurses to identify the areas they have performed poorly or with little confidence. While undertaking the continued education, they will have a chance planning their learning and therefore make these areas their main focus. In this way, CPD enables nurses to improve their performance in areas they had previously performed poorly while increasing their confidence in these areas. How nurses can maintain their competency in nursing knowledge and skills through CPD In order to maintain their professional competency in nursing skills and knowledge through CPD, nurses should ensure they engage in supervised nursing practice. They should also keep reflecting on the feedback they receive from their supervisors. These are those supervisors who supervise them after undertaking learning in certain skills and knowledge. Quinn (1998) advices that nurses should become active participants in professional discussion groups and undertake personal professional reading. Professional reading here means reading journals and/or books talking about the nursing profession and related fields (Daly, Speedy, and Jackson, (2004). This will ensure they familiarise more with the knowledge they already know while getting to learn more about their profession. As individuals, nurses should always aim at improving their professional performance, communications, developing skills in information technology and problem solving skills (Quinn, 1998). These will be the driving factors behind participation in CPD. Nurses should also enrol as active members of professional committees and professional groups. These groups or committees could encourage them to write articles for publication and this serves as a good motivation for undertaking continued education in the profession. Where possible, nurses should enrol for undergraduate or postgraduate studies that are of high relevance to their professional practice according to Cherry and Jacob (2008). CPD gives nurses a chance to participate actively in attending conferences, seminars, professional meetings, lectures and making presentations. These are important as it helps nurses to gain a better understanding of the knowledge they already have in addition to the new knowledge they acquire in such meetings, conferences or seminars (Chinn and Kramer, 2004). CPD opens a way for nurses to conduct research or contributing to existing research. Participation in professional research ensures that the skills and knowledge that nurses have already gained is used more actively even they gain new knowledge and make discoveries. CPD challenges people to seek for better ways of tackling issues in the heath care setting and this requires acquisition of new knowledge and skills. However, this does not mean they will disregard their old knowledge. Old skills and knowledge will form a basis for comparing the applicability of the old and new knowledge. This equips the nurse with a wide range of skills and knowledge responding to such issues whenever they arise. CPD ensures that nurses undertake some hours of active learning. This is important as it acts as an important assessment tool that will lead to identification of one’s weaknesses and strengths (Cherry and Jacob, 2008).. Conclusion Continued professional development (CPD) is important for both nurses as professionals and the patients as their clients (Chinn and Kramer, 2004). For the nurses, it equips them with new skills and knowledge that are important in increasing their professional competency. It also improves and widens their expertise and this enables them to practice in a wider range of health care settings and handle more complex patient issues or cases. Most importantly, it enables them to handle patients and react to health care issues in a better way leading to improved patient outcomes. Patients are therefore able to benefit directly from improved competency and confidence of the nursing professionals as a result of CPD. Unlike the formal training, the continued education is designed to address specific learning needs of the individual or the health care institution they are employed in (Chinn and Kramer, 2004). The institution’s learning needs are in turn drawn from the health care needs of the society it serves. This explains the importance of continued professional development (CPD) as one of the best tools that helps nurses and health care institutions address the heath care needs of the society they serve. CPD has become such an essential requirement for a modern working life as a means of developing and managing personal careers (Chinn and Kramer, 2004). It is therefore important for all nurses and other professionals in health care to develop interest and actually participate actively in CPD. It should be noted that CPD does not only benefit nurses as professionals but also the institutions they work for. This is because CPD learning could be designed to meet the needs of individual nurses or those of their employers. Therefore, all employers of nurses should become fully committed to providing nurses with the most effective and appropriate CPD opportunities while providing them with other necessary support. These could include finances, time off and allowing them to have supervisors around for purposes of assessment. References Alsop, A. (2000).Continuing professional development. Wiley-Blackwell; Oxford; Malden, MA. Bulman, C. and Schutz, S. (2004). Reflective practice in nursing. (3rd Ed). Malden, MA. Wiley-Blackwell. Cherry, B. and Jacob, S. (2008). Contemporary Nursing – Issues, Trends, and Management. (4th Ed). St. Louis: Mosby.  Chinn, P. and Kramer, M. (2004).  Integrated knowledge Development in Nursing (6th Ed.). St. Louis: Mosby.  Clinton, M. (2004). Management in the Australian Health Care Industry (3rd Ed.). Frenches Forrest: Pearson Education. Daly, J. Speedy, S. and Jackson, D. (2004). Nursing Leadership. Sydney: Churchill Livingstone.  Kolb, D. (1984). Experimental Learning: Experience as a Source of Learning and Development. Prentice hall. New Jersey. Quinn, F. (1998). Continuing Professional Development in Nursing: A Guide for Practitioners and Educators. Cheltenham, U.K. Nelson Thornes. Quinn, F. (2000). The principles and practice of nurse education. Cheltenham, U.K. Nelson Thornes. Palmer, A. Burns, S and Bulman, C. (1994). Reflective Practice in Nursing. Oxford. Blackwell Scientific. Read More