Nurses' perceptions towards mandatory continuing professional development

Abstract

Continuing professional development for nurses has been given increasing importance. So much so, that the Directorate of Nursing Services in Malta has proposed that registration should be maintained against proof of continuing professional development. A descriptive research design using self administered questionnaires was undertaken to explore nurses' perceptions towards mandatory continuing professional development. While exploring these perceptions, the study also sought to find out factors influencing continuing professional development selection and attendance. A convenience sample of 34 nurses working in medical and surgical wards were recruited, and a 100% response rate was achieved. The results show that respondents had a general positive attitude towards mandatory continuing professional development. Yet, only half of the respondents were in favour of the implementation of a mandatory system. The findings of this study are discussed, and recommendations for practice and further research have been made.