Browsing by Author "Susan Tabu"

Filter results by typing the first few letters
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Item
    Assessment of continuing professional development practices among nurses And midwives in health facilities in Arua Region
    (Uganda Christian University, 2026-06-17) Susan Tabu
    Introduction: In the wake of the increasing disease dynamics and overwhelming demand for nurses and midwives globally, Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is an essential component, capable of empowering the few available nurses and midwives with a mix of skills and competences that can allow them operate in multidisciplinary and multi-sectoral environment effectively. Each Nurse or Midwife in Uganda is required to engage and acquire at least 50 CPD credit units over a period of 3 years. However, some nurses and midwives have limited engagement in CPD and the extent of their participation is not well documented. Objectives: This study assessed the participation of nurses and midwives in health facilities in Arua region in continuing professional development activities and the associated factors. Methods: The study had a cross-sectional design and employed both quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection (mixed method). Quantitative data collection involved conduct of interviews with 218 nurses and midwives working in health facilities in Arua region namely Arua Regional Referral Hospital (ARRH), Oli health center IV, Adumi health center IV, Kuluva hospital and Maracha hospital. The qualitative component involved conduct of Key Informant Interviews with 6 persons who were content experts including the in charge of CPD activities in the region and at the health facilities, facility in charges and representative of the Nurses and Midwives Council in Arua. The key outcome measure was the proportion of nurses and midwives who acquired the recommended 50 CPD credit units over the last 3 years. Data was collected using structured and self-administered questionnaires and a check list. Univariate analysis was done to generate descriptive statistics. Bi-variate and multi variate analysis was done to assess the association between the independent and dependent variables. The association between participation in CPD (dependent variable) and the demographics, formal qualifications, and other independent variables were assessed by logistic regression using prevalence ratios with 95% confidence intervals as a fixed level of significance. Data from Key Informant Interviews was transcribed in English and thereafter emerging themes were generated. The transcripts were manually coded and the findings were presented as quotes to supplement quantitative results. Results: All the study participants indicated that they had ever participated in continuing professional development in the past 3 years, however only 38.3% (90/235) scored > 50 credit units. The nurses and midwives in Arua region generally held positive attitudes toward CPD, recognizing its importance for career advancement and quality care. The individual factors that hindered participation in CPD included overload of work, personal demotivation, disagreement between the work team, lack of communication and information, negative experiences with previous CPD programs and lack of interest in new information by some staff members. Compared with staff on the highest salary scale (U7), those on lower scales were significantly more likely to have inadequate CPD credits, including U5 (adjusted PR = 1.30; 95% CI: 1.01–1.66), U4 (adjusted PR = 1.75; 95% CI: 1.44–2.13), and U3 (adjusted PR = 1.84; 95% CI: 1.52–2.24). In addition, participants without any alternative source of income were less likely to have inadequate CPD credits compared with those who had other income sources (adjusted PR = 0.75; 95% CI: 0.62–0.90), indicating better CPD performance among those relying solely on their salary. Attitudinal barriers included lack of motivation, perceived irrelevance or repetitiveness of topics, and absence of financial incentives. Organizational factors that hindered participation in CPD included unsuitable location, non-supportive and compatible CPD schedule, lack of flexibility to leave the service for training, logistical problems related to the organization, large and dispersed audience that were difficult to manage, lack of targeted training content and lack of follow-up and evaluation of training sessions. The institutional factors that hindered participation in CPD included lack of flexibility of time to attend CPD, conflicting scheduling requirement to attend CPD, lack of clinical supervision and insufficient budget for continuing education. Conclusion and recommendations. Continuing Professional Development is vital for enhancing the competencies of nurses and midwives in Uganda, ultimately improving health outcomes. While there are several practices in place, a multi-stakeholder approach is necessary to overcome existing challenges. Strengthening policy implementation, expanding access and integrating digital tools are key steps toward more effective and inclusive CPD systems. Institutional commitment to provide protected learning time and resources are necessary.