Continuos Professional Development for Nurses - Essay Example

Download file to see previous pages Increasing recognition of the need for continuing professional development or CPD for health professionals has created an inevitable expansion in course provision (Hicks & Hennessy, 2001). For a course to be successful, the particular CPD course must be able to meet the local health service needs, as well as the personal and professional development of the participants (Hicks & Hennessy, 2001). CPDs should also design methods and strategies that would encourage participation of professionals especially nurses for it to be successful. In the study conducted by McMullan, Jones and Lea (2011) entitled, “ The effect of an interactive e-drug calculations package on Nursing Students' Drug Calculation ability and self-efficacy”, aimed in comparing an interactive form of CPD and the traditional type of providing hand-outs. Using the PEDro Scale Rating, the said study was good in terms that it was able to determine the significance of CPD in the life of nurses. Nurses need to be competent and confident in performing drug calculations to ensure patient safety (McMullan, Jones & Lea, 2011). The study utilized a cluster randomized controlled trial comparing the e-package with traditional hand-out learning support (McMullan, Jones & Lea, 2011). The author of this paper believes that Randomized Controlled Trials or RCT should be conducted in determining the essence of CPD in the Nursing Profession for the reason that it limits bias and therefore provides reliability and validity of the findings. Moreover, the factors that may alter the validity of results are also given focus so as to promote precision and accuracy of results that will be obtained. Lastly, RCTs typically provide a clear picture of the answers to the inquiries posed by the issue regarding Continuing Professional Development or CPD for nurses. As a nurse, the said study was beneficial for it had proven the importance of undergoing Continuing Professional Development Courses in order to improve the skills and knowledge of nurses which is crucial in fulfilling the endeavor of providing quality care to patients. This study challenged nurses that they must continue to update themselves in order to keep at pace with the different demands or needs of their patients. It can also be concluded that learning does not stop after one has obtained his or her nursing license instead it is a continuous and lifelong process for one cannot learn everything in an instant. Moreover, a variety of updates and new discoveries are being divulged everyday in the field of nursing and for a nurse to competently play his or her role, he or she must continue to grow and mature in the profession by means of learning not only for professional enhancement but also for holistic development as an individual. II. Studying comprises a set of skills that can be learned, practiced and combined together as an overall procedure, and that this method will ensure the success of an individual (Mason-Whitehead & Mason, 2008, p. 1). Subsequently, being a student necessitates a mental attitude and a set of behaviors mandatory for the process of studying to be enjoyable and at the same time successful (Mason-Whitehead ...Download file to see next pagesRead More