Continuing professional development in South Africa : perceptions and attitudes of nurses and midwives

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore and develop understanding of nurses and midwives’ perceptions and attitudes towards the implementation of CPD, aiming to provide them with a platform to make recommendations to enhance the attendance of CPD.The study was conducted in a public regional hospital in Limpopo Province, South Africa. The purposive exploratory descriptive qualitative research method was used. Data was collected through Focus Group Discussions. Participants comprised of three focus group discussions. A semi-structured guide with open –ended questions was used and discussions were recorded with an audio recorder which were transcribed verbatim. Content analysis of the data was done. The study yielded themes, sub-themes and codes during analysis. Participants perceived CPD to have benefits to keep nurses updated with knowledge, skills and improvement of attitudes. It improves quality patient care. However, they identified staff shortage, time constraints and lack of internet connection as the major challenges.

Die doel van hierdie studie was om ‘n begrip van die houdings en persepsies teenoor die implementering van voortgesette professionele ontwikkeling (VPO) van verpleegkundiges en vroedvroue te verken, ten einde ‘n platform vir aanbevelings daar te stel om die bywoning van VPO te bevorder. Die studie was in 'n openbare streekshospitaal in die provinsie Limpopo, Suid-Afrika gedoen. ‘n Kwalitatiewe, doelgerigte, verkennende en beskrywende navorsingsmetode was gebruik om data is deur middel van drie fokusgroepbesprekings in te samel. ‘n Semi-gestruktureerde onderhoudegids met oop vrae was gebruik om klankopnames van gesprekke, verbatim te transkribeer. Data was ontleed deur middel van inhoudsanalise. Temas, subtemas en kodes is tydens die analise geïdentifiseer. Die deelnemers het VPO as voordelig beskou in terme van die opdatering van verpleegkundiges se kennis, vaardighede en houdings. Gehalte pasiëntsorg word sodoende verbeter. Hulle het egter personeeltekort, 'n gebrek aan tyd, en toegang tot die internet as ‘n struikelblok geïdentifiseer.

Maikaelelo a dipatlisiso tse (research), e ne e le go sekaseka le go tlhabolola kutlwisiso ya baoki le babelegisi ka ga tebo le maikutlo a bona mabapi le tshimololo ya go thlabolola dithuto bale tirong “CPD”. Maikaelelo e ne e le go ba neela tšhono ya go dira ditshwaelo go oketsa dipalo tse di tsenang dithuto tsa CPD. Dipatlisiso tse di diretswe kwa dipetleleng tsa kgaolo tsa botlhe, Porofenseng ya Limpopo mo Aforikaborwa. Go dirisitswe mokgwa wa dipatlisiso wa ‘purposive exploratory descriptive qualitative research’ mo di patlisisong tse. Dikitso di kgobokantswe go ya ka mokgwa wa lekgotla ‘Focus Group Discussion’. Batsayakarolo ba ne ba arogantswe ka ditlhopha tse tharo tsa ‘focus group discussions’. Kaedi e e rulagantsweng e e nang le dipotso tsa boitlhalosi- ka- botlalo e dirisitswe mme dipuisano tsa gatiswa ka rekhoto ya kgatiso-modumo morago tsa kwalwa fatshe ka mokgwa o di builweng. Tshekatsheko ya diteng tsa dikitso tse e dirilwe ka go latela mokgwa wa ‘content analysis’. Dipatlisiso tse dineetse molaetsa mogolo, melaetsanyana le melao ka nako ya ditshekatsheko. Batsayakarolo ba bone gothlabolola dithuto bale tirong ‘CPD’ go nale mosola mo tsweletsong ya go neela baoki kitso, bokgoni le tokafatso ya maitshwaro. E tokafaditse boleng ba tlhokomelo ya balwetse. Le fa go ntse jalo, ba supile fa tlhaelo ya baoki, dinako tsa go dira le go tlhoka kgokelelo ya enthanete e le dikgwetlho tse kgolo.