Objective 1: Views of nurses and midwives regarding CPD implementation at a

Nurses and midwives who participated in the study felt that CPD was important and had benefits for the nursing profession. This is in line with what several researchers had alluded to, namely, Casey et al (2016:661) in their study found that CPD has a key role in maintaining and demonstrating positive impact on service provision, patient experience and patient safety. Nsemo, John, Etifit, Mgbekem and Oyira (2013:330),

who in their study participants perceived that CPE is valuable and worthwhile for practice as nurses; helps them to meet diverse needs of patients; makes practitioners to keep up-to-date with current knowledge; develop new skills in nursing practice, and it promotes professional competence in practice.

There is a need for significant improvement in patient safety and quality care (Wakefield et al 2005; Smith et al 2007; Okuyama et al 2011c cited in Casey et al 2016:659). The current study supports these views in that participants stated that CPD was not stagnant, nursing is a developing profession and it is always teaching continuously. CPD had improved and changed attitudes of nurses and midwives and therefore it was very important for nurses to attend CPD workshops. Participants further cited that those practitioners who attended CPD presentations were knowledgeable and added value to those who remain in the units by giving them more information. They agreed that they could not all attend workshops as and when they wished. Participants indicated that such practitioners who attended CPD provided safe patient care and maintained good health which assisted them to manage patients. Moreover, Participants were particularly thrilled by presentations on new diseases, especially in casualty and orthopaedic units.

This is further confirmed by the study conducted by Chong et al (2014:4) that nurses and midwives preferred courses in specialised areas such as cardiothoracic nursing, wound care management and CPR as opposed to undertaking research, participation in degrees and diplomas. In the case of the Malaysian nurses and midwives, their constraints, according to the said authors, were financial constraints, family burden and work commitment. None of these barriers were mentioned by the participants in the study that the researcher conducted. Their main constraint was time and shortage of staff in the wards.

CPD, according to participants’ view, has promoted interpersonal relationships and offered them team-building opportunities. Participants were motivated to participate in CPD activities because they saw the need to keep abreast. Nurses and midwives stated that they spent most of their time at work in hospital and with the advent of CPD they were able to deal with issues that they could not share with others before, and they also learned coping mechanisms to deal with difficult or burning issues. Attendance of CPD presentations broadened, developed and revived nurses and midwives. Uarije et al (2017:21) support this view in their study conducted on radiographers’ attitudes

toward continuous professional development at state hospitals in Windhoek, Namibia. In this study, the respondents agreed to mandatory CPD and deemed CPD important because it was associated with improved practice, better patient care and increased confidence. The respondents in this study saw the need to keep abreast with current practices and knowledge because they felt motivated to participate in CPD activities.

In this study, participants reported that CPD builds confidence and proficiencies in nurses and midwives to deal with emergencies, especially in specialised units. Their skills in resuscitation were now developed. Through CPD, participants felt that they were able to learn paediatric and adult resuscitation; improved emergency updates, especially that the CPR changes rapidly. Currently, CPR starts with pulse, not airway and this makes CPD very important. They have also gained more knowledge in professional ethics, professional leadership and professional management in future. Macaden et al (2017:943) and Uarije et al (2017:21) support this view.

Nurses and midwives are reminded of their obligations, their purpose and how to take care of their patients when they attend CPD. Participants reported that usually nurses and midwives knew only what transpired in their units, but with CPD presentations, the stereotypes were removed. Furthermore, participants were of the view that nurses and midwives should not give excuses for not attending CPD. They argued that they lose out because correlation of theory and practice is very important. It is good to continue with CPD because it is very crucial and beneficial. Participants reported that CPD initiative motivated people to participate and that participation would continue in future. In addition to the benefits mentioned in this study, Macaden et al (2017:943) added that CPD programmes help professionals to retain their jobs and support nurses’ professional status.

Macaden et al (2017:943) concur that CPD programmes promote patient safety; nurses in their study reported that they attended CPD training largely for their professional development needs and personal interest. They also cited CPD as an opportunity to socialise, especially those working in remote and rural areas who often feel isolated from fellow professionals. It is therefore imperative that those who develop CPD training opportunities should recognise this factor.

5.3.2 Objective 2: Attitudes of nurses and midwives regarding CPD