Barriers and Enablers to Nurses’ Engagement With Continuing Professional Development: A Survey

Abstract

Background: Continuing professional development (CPD) is perceived as a pivotal component of building and maintaining nursing skill and capacity. Exploring motivators for CPD engagement can aid program ad-aptation and improvement. The goal of this study was to survey the barriers, enablers, and changes of Australian RNs’ engagement with CPD in general during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. An additional goal was to understand factors influencing the interest of participants to engage with programs focused on care for people with intellectual disability and/or autism. Method: This study was a cross-sec-tional exploratory survey. Results: Most of the sample had engaged with CPD in the previous 12 months, and the most reported topics were related to COVID-19. Sixty percent of nurses saw a change in volume of CPD. Younger nurses, with fewer years of experience, and practicing in major cities, were significantly more likely to report less CPD. Conclusion: It is pivotal that the design and promotion of CPD curricula consider the motivators and barriers for nurses’ engagement with them.