Healthcare professions are increasingly associated with lifelong learning, with continuing professional development (CPD) becoming an essential aspect of successful careers in healthcare. CPD is fundamental for effective response to major public health issues facing healthcare professionals and their clients. According to Jackson & Manly (2022), the healthcare industry evolves quickly, with technologies once considered best practices being outdated through rapid advancements in information technology and changes in disease and client trends. Through CPD, healthcare professionals effectively maintain competence to practice while increasing their expertise and practice enhancement by acquiring skills beyond the pre-registration training, leading to promotions and increased remuneration. Despite being an essential aspect of professional success, CPD is associated with various challenges and barriers.
Healthcare professionals must plan to proactively update their knowledge and skills by seeking to work in organizations that foster professional and continuing development. In a review of studies investigating CPD among nurses. Mlambo et al. (2021) identified organizational culture as a primary factor shaping the conditions and ability of nurses to update their knowledge and skills. Notably, one of the core components of ongoing professional development is informal and self-directed learning at the workplace. However, the lack of managers dedicated to CPD, insufficient time and space, poor staffing, and extensive ward needs are some aspects of organizational culture that impede continuous updates to knowledge and skills (Jackson & Manly, 2022). Alternatively, the organization that supports CPD comprises aspects including dedicated funding for staff to undertake CPD, flexible work schedules, and manageable workloads, access to CPD resources, and instituted CPD structure (Mlambo et al., 2021). By working in organizations that foster CPD, healthcare professionals can position themselves to effectively update their knowledge and skills by eliminating known barriers.
In addition to identifying supportive organizations, healthcare professionals must implement measures to facilitate effective learning. Some steps include accumulating the necessary funds, seeking partnerships with employers or organizations that support professional development, and becoming conversant with effective methodologies of knowledge, such as e-learning (Jackson & Manly, 2022). Additionally, healthcare professionals must undertake self-directed learning in the workplace, such as (1) performing literature synthesis to implement evidence-based practice, (2) conference submissions, (3) participating in process improvement projects, (4) volunteering in committees and task forces, and (5) mentoring junior professionals (Bindon, 2017). Healthcare professionals should also participate in formal learning activities such as attending workshops and pursuing specialty education, which will require advanced planning with supervisors and managers. Finally, healthcare professionals must undertake constant career reflection to ensure the right attitude and motivation is in place to facilitate continuous learning. According to Bindon (2017), some of these measures include identifying learning needs and developing an action plan, and networking extensively to identify trends in healthcare that may require additional competencies, such as IT certifications.
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