Views of health workers in cape coast teaching hospital regarding continuous professional development opportunities available to them

Abstract

This study is aimed at exploring the views of nurses and midwives at the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital regarding Continuous Professional Development opportunities available to them. The descriptive survey design was adopted for the study. A sample size of 250 respondents was selected through the multi-stage sampling technique from a population of 478 nurses and midwives at the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital (CCTH). The underpinning theory for this study was the human capital theory advocated by Becker (1946). It also presents a conceptual framework showing the types of CPD programmes and their benefits to nurses and midwives. The findings of the study revealed workshops, refreshers courses and seminars as the main forms of CPD programmes attended by nurses and midwives at the CCTH. Similarly, it is evident from the study that nurses and midwives engage in CPD programmes to keep them abreast with modern trends in the health profession and also to serve as means for the renewal of their professional licence. However, the study revealed inconvenient workshop schedule and inappropriate date for the CPD programme as the main challenges nurses and midwives faced in accessing the CPD programme. Based on the findings, it was recommended that the hospital management should collaborate with the NMC to organise more CPD programmes frequently for nurses and midwives. Also, there is the need the NMC to actively involve nurses and midwives in the planning of CPD programmes. Finally, the hospital management and NMC should endeavour to invest in organising more CPD programmes for nurses and midwives.