Opportunities and challenges in lifelong learning and continuing professional development among nurses at a cancer hospital in Sri Lanka

Abstract

Background: Continuing Professional Development (CPD) and lifelong learning are essential for nurses to keep up to date with innovations, technological enhancements, and development in the healthcare sector to improve patient outcomes and safety.

Objective: The study aimed to identify platforms, awareness, and barriers to CPD and lifelong learning of nursing professionals at Cancer Hospital (Apeksha), Maharagama, Sri Lanka.

Methods: A quantitative survey was conducted, and a self-administered questionnaire was used to collect samples from April 2022 to February 2023. Random sampling techniques were used to select the samples from the population of nurses. The study sample size was 235, and only 200 nurses responded.

Results: Descriptive statistics were calculated, and cross-tabulations were also employed. The nursing professionals in the study setting are characterized by a significant gender imbalance, with most nurses being female (86.5%) and males comprising a minority (13.5%). Most nurses have one to five years of experience, with just over a third (37.5%) having between one to ten years of experience. Family responsibilities, poor physical health, and financial constraints were identified as the most common barriers to engaging in CPD. Workplace stress, lack of financial aid, lack of opportunities, leave issues, inflexible work hours, and workload at the ward/unit were the most commonly agreed-upon organizational barriers in CPD. Despite various channels for accessing CPD activities, including colleagues and the workplace, a significant proportion of respondents were not aware of opportunities and platforms through these channels, highlighting the need for increased awareness and accessibility of CPD opportunities.

Conclusion: CPD is crucial for nurses to grow their careers and improve their knowledge and abilities. Main obstacles such as family obligations, financial restraints, and occupational stress must be overcome to motivate nurses to engage in CPD activities and foster professional progress. There should be a proper mechanism to increase the awareness of CPD among nurses.

---

Total views 252 [Abstract: 213 | PDF: 39 ]

Declaration of Conflicting Interest

The authors declared no significant competing financial, professional, or personal interests might have influenced the performance or presentation of the work described in this manuscript.

Acknowledgment

We would like to thank Director, Dr. Aruna Jayasekara, and the Special Grade Nursing Officer of Apeksha Hospital Maharagama, Mr. Priyantha Jayarathne, for granting us access to the hospital premises and providing invaluable guidance. Additionally, we extend our gratitude to the section matrons and ward sisters of Apeksha Hospital Maharagama for their advice and direction.

Authors’ Contributions

All authors met the ICMJE authorship criteria. In addition, all authors were accountable for each step of the study and approved the final version of the article to be published.

Data Availability Statement

Data were available upon request to the corresponding author.

Declaration of the Use of AI in Scientific Writing

Nothing to declare.

References

Read more

Abhayasinghe, K., & Seneviratne, S. (2022). Why nurses should continue their professional education? Sri Lankan Journal of Nursing, 1(2). https://doi.org/10.4038/sljn.v1i2.31

Aboshaiqah, A. E., Qasim, A., Abualwafa, N., & Al-Bashaireh, A. M. (2012). Barriers for continuing professional development among nurses in Saudi Arabia. Middle East Journal of Nursing, 6(3), 22-27.

Aziz, Z., Jeta, C. N., & Abdul Rahman, S. S. (2013). Continuing professional development: views and barriers toward participation among Malaysian pharmacists. The European Journal of Social & Behavioural Sciences, 4(1), 45-55. https://doi.org/10.15405/ejsbs.2013.1.6

Bell, D. J., Self, M. M., Davis Iii, C., Conway, F., Washburn, J. J., & Crepeau-Hobson, F. (2020). Health service psychology education and training in the time of COVID-19: Challenges and opportunities. American Psychologist, 75(7), 919-932. https://doi.org/10.1037/amp0000673

Brekelmans, G., Maassen, S., Poell, R. F., Weststrate, J., & Geurdes, E. (2016). Factors influencing nurse participation in continuing professional development activities: Survey results from the Netherlands. Nurse Education Today, 40, 13-19. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2016.01.028

Campos-Zamora, M., Gilbert, H., Esparza-Perez, R. I., Sanchez-Mendiola, M., Gardner, R., Richards, J. B., Lumbreras-Marquez, M. I., & Dobiesz, V. A. (2022). Continuing professional development challenges in a rural setting: A mixed-methods study. Perspectives on Medical Education, 11(5), 273-280. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40037-022-00718-8

Chaokromthong, K., & Sintao, N. (2021). Sample size estimation using Yamane and Cochran and Krejcie and Morgan and green formulas and Cohen statistical power analysis by G* Power and comparisions. Apheit International Journal, 10(2), 76-86.

Feldacker, C., Pintye, J., Jacob, S., Chung, M. H., Middleton, L., Iliffe, J., & Kim, H. N. (2017). Continuing professional development for medical, nursing, and midwifery cadres in Malawi, Tanzania and South Africa: A qualitative evaluation. PloS One, 12(10), e0186074. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0186074

Frances, S., & Annatjie, P. (2019). Professional nurses’ perception of compulsory continuing professional development. Nursing & Primary Care, 3(6), 1-4.

Gibbs, V. (2011). An investigation into the challenges facing the future provision of continuing professional development for allied health professionals in a changing healthcare environment. Radiography, 17(2), 152-157. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.radi.2011.01.005

Ingwu, J. A., Efekalam, J., Nwaneri, A., Ohaeri, B., Israel, C., Chikeme, P., Madu, O., Opara, H., & Omotola, N. (2019). Perception towards mandatory continuing professional development programme among nurses working at University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu-Nigeria. International Journal of Africa Nursing Sciences, 11, 100169. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijans.2019.100169

Jackson, C., & Manley, K. (2022). Contemporary challenges of nursing CPD: Time to change the model to meet citizens’ needs. Nursing Open, 9(2), 880-891. https://doi.org/10.1002/nop2.941

Kearns, T. (2021). The impact of Continuing Professional Development on nurses' wellbeing and satisfaction. Professioni Infermieristiche, 74(4), 256-256. https://doi.org/10.7429/pi.2021.744256b

Khatri, R. J., Van Teijlingen, E., Marahatta, S. B., Simkhada, P., Mackay, S., & Simkhada, B. (2021). Exploring the challenges and opportunities for continuing professional development fo nurses: A qualitative study with senior nurse leaders in Nepal. Journal of Manmohan Memorial Institute of Health Sciences, 7(1), 15-29. https://doi.org/10.3126/jmmihs.v7i1.43147

King, R., Taylor, B., Talpur, A., Jackson, C., Manley, K., Ashby, N., Tod, A., Ryan, T., Wood, E., & Senek, M. (2021). Factors that optimise the impact of continuing professional development in nursing: A rapid evidence review. Nurse Education Today, 98, 104652. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2020.104652

Lera, M., Taxtsoglou, K., Iliadis, C. K., Frantzana, A. A., & Kourkouta, L. (2020). Nurses’ attitudes toward lifelong learning via new technologies. Asian/pacific Island Nursing Journal, 5(2), 89-102. https://doi.org/10.31372%2F20200502.1088

Lovelace, B. J. (2020). WHO says there’sa global shortfall of 5.9 million nurses as world battles coronavirus pandemic. CNBC. https://www.cnbc.com/2020/04/06/who-says-theres-a-global-shortfall-of-5point9-million-nurses-as-world-battles-coronavirus-pandemic.html

Marikar, F., & Perera, D. (2020). Perceptions of academia of different health professions towards inter professional education in Sri Lanka. Journal of STEAM Education, 4(1), 43-51.

Mayer, M. A., Rodríguez Blanco, O., & Torrejon, A. (2019). Use of health apps by nurses for professional purposes: web-based survey study. JMIR mHealth and uHealth, 7(11), e15195. https://doi.org/10.2196/15195

Mlambo, M., Silén, C., & McGrath, C. (2021). Lifelong learning and nurses’ continuing professional development, a metasynthesis of the literature. BMC Nursing, 20, 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-021-00579-2

Nkrumah, I., Atuhaire, C., Priebe, G., & Cumber, S. N. (2018). Barriers for nurses’ participation in and utilisation of clinical research in three hospitals within the Kumasi Metropolis, Ghana. Pan African Medical Journal, 30(1). https://doi.org/10.11604/pamj.2018.30.24.15230

Oermann, M. H., Chinn, P. L., Carter-Templeton, H., & Nicoll, L. H. (2019). The importance of nursing in nursing publications. Nurse Author & Editor, 29(3), 1-6. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1750-4910.2019.tb00043.x

Palma, J. A. F. S., Oducado, R. M. F., & Palma, B. S. (2020). Continuing professional development: Awareness, attitude, facilitators, and barriers among nurses in the Philippines. Nursing Practice Today, 7(3), 198-207. https://doi.org/10.18502/npt.v7i3.3348

Pool, I. A., Poell, R. F., Berings, M. G. M. C., & Ten Cate, O. (2016). Motives and activities for continuing professional development: An exploration of their relationships by integrating literature and interview data. Nurse Education Today, 38, 22-28. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2016.01.004

Prosen, M. (2022). Nursing students’ perception of gender-defined roles in nursing: A qualitative descriptive study. BMC Nursing, 21(1), 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-022-00876-4

Ryan, J. (2003). Continuous professional development along the continuum of lifelong learning. Nurse Education Today, 23(7), 498-508. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0260-6917(03)00074-1

Vázquez-Calatayud, M., Errasti-Ibarrondo, B., & Choperena, A. (2021). Nurses’ continuing professional development: A systematic literature review. Nurse Education in Practice, 50, 102963. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nepr.2020.102963

Wijemanne, W., Gamini, L. P. S., & Sridharan, S. (2019). Strengthening of knowledge and skills on patient safety of nursing officers in a teaching hospital in Sri-Lanka. Sri Lanka Journal of Management Studies, 1(2). https://doi.org/10.4038/SLJMS.V1I2.50

Yu, X., Huang, Y., & Liu, Y. (2022). Nurses’ perceptions of continuing professional development: A qualitative study. BMC Nursing, 21(1), 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-022-00940-z

---

Readers are able to give us their valuable feedbacks here. The comments will be reviewed by the editors and then published here. Important Note: The "Comments" related to the Galley Proof PDF must NOT be submitted via this form. Authors should submit their comments on their galley proofs only via system