Valuating a continuous professional development programme for Critical Care nurse practitioners in aprivate hospital in Gauteng

Abstract

In a hospital environment the focus is on quality patient care. One of the important factors to improve the quality of patient care is the implementation of a continuous professional development programme. In a continuous professional development programme of a hospital three stakeholders namely management, clinical facilitators and the nurse practitioners are identified as partners. When the stakeholders reach a point where it is believed that the continuous professional development programme does not serve its purpose to improve the quality of patient care it is time to evaluate and refine the programme. This study evaluate the critical care and high care units in a private hospital in Gauteng’s continuous professional development programme and the conclusions and recommendations are therefore limited to this specific clinical setting. The refinements recommended cannot be utilised in other clinical setting but the evaluation and research methodology can be utilised to evaluate similar continuous professional development programmes. Evaluation of a continuous professional development has the potential to negatively influence the nurse practitioners attitude towards continuous professional development. The objective of the research approach chosen namely a 4-D Appreciative Inquiry approach was to gain the collaboration of all the stakeholders in an effort to ensure that the evaluation of the continuous professional development programme of the critical care and high care units in the private hospital in Gauteng does not negatively affect the delivery of quality patient care. The Appreciative Inquiry research approach with its positive approach lends it to be the most appropriate research methodology of the study. The study utilised a Focus Group Inquiry as data a collection mechanism. From the study In-service training emerged as the element that form an important element of an effective continuous professional development programme but that it is of the at most importance that an effective Workplace learning environment exists. The supportive role of Management for a continuous professional development programme also emerged as one of the main themes required for the implementation of a continuous professional development programme. These findings were utilised in the refinement for the continuous professional development programme for the critical care and high care units in the private hospital in Gauteng. The research recommends that a steering committee be appointed to implement a pilot continuous professional development programme that incorporate the refinement elements identified. Due to the continuous improvement nature of the Appreciative Inquiry methodology it is also recommended that the pilot continuous professional development programme been re-evaluation to ensure long-term success and improvement.