| dc.description |
Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is an ongoing learning process in addition to formal nursing education, allows nurses to maintain and improve nursing practice standards (Price & Reichert, 2017). The aim of this study was to evaluate the utilization of continuing professional development programme for nurses in Tanzania. It was a cross-sectional study with both qualitative and quantitative approaches. Multistage sampling techniques was used in selecting 299 nurses in Kilimanjaro, Dodoma and Iringa regions who were assessed by using self-administered questionnaire for quantitative and focus group discussion for qualitative approaches. Data was collected from January to March 2021. Data analysis was done by using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 25 at CI of 95%. Both descriptive and logistic regression were performed whereby frequencies, percentages, p-values, OR and AOR were presented respectively and thematic analysis was used to analyze qualitative data. The study assessed 299 nurses who had respondent rate of 97% (291) from 9 health care facilities. The mean age and standard deviation were 37.77 ±9.77 respectively. Out of 291 nurses assessed 175 (60.1%) had adequate knowledge and 197 (67.7%) had good utilization of CPD programme. Factors associated with the utilization of CPD programme included nurses knowledge to CPD programme (AOR = 3.929, 95%CI = 2.166 - 7.126, p<0001), Level of education (AOR = 0.48, 95%CI = 0.247 - 0.949, p < 0.0346). Location (AOR = 0.09, 95%CI = 0.01 - 0.0429, p = 0.0027 and Internet access (AOR = 3.33, 95% CI =1.463-2.630, p=0.0041). Generally, the utilization of the CPD programme for nurses in Tanzania is good and was considered an important measure to increase nurse's participation in CPD activities. However, the aim of TNMC was not achieved, as the standard is to have all nurses 100% attending the CPD programme and achieving the minimal points according to the standard set. The effective planning should be done by TNMC to organize at least one week training in national level for each nurse to attend yearly for updating knowledge, skills and attitude while the routine CPD activities continue to be conducted in the working areas for the aim of improving quality of the patient care. |
|