Nurse’s perspectives on Continuing Professional Development at Zomba Central Hospital, Malawi: A Qualitative Inquiry

Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is a fundamental component of nursing practice, facilitating the ongoing acquisition of knowledge and skills beyond initial training. It serves as a mechanism for nurses to remain abreast of current advancements, fostering their professional development and ultimately enhancing the delivery of quality patient care. This study aimed to explore the needs of nurses in relation to Continuing Professional Development at Zomba Central Hospital. And specific objectives were to; assess the congruency of nurses' needs and their participation in CPD programmes, assess the adequacy of existing CPD programmes in addressing the needs of identified nurses and examine the barriers and facilitators of nurses' access to and participation in CPD programmes. This study employed a qualitative and interpretive phenomenological design. Using purposive sampling, 15 nurses were interviewed. The collected data were then subjected to thematic analysis. The nurses acknowledged CPD's crucial role in professional growth and patient care improvement. There is a significant misalignment between CPD programmes and nurses' specific needs, particularly in practical skill development. Current CPD offerings often fail to address individual career goals and gaps in knowledge. Some CPD sessions are relevant to departmental needs, but many lack practical applicability and fail to address the knowledge gaps. Diverse interactive learning resources are highly valued. Most CPD facilitators lack expertise and proficiency in teaching skills. Barriers to CPD participation include scheduling conflicts, workload pressures, and financial obstacles such as limited access to data bundles and transportation costs. Exploring CPD needs of nurses at Zomba Central Hospital assisted in determining the relationship between nurses' actual needs and the CPD programmes in which they engage. The study reveals a significant disparity between nurses' CPD needs and accessible programmes, emphasizing the need for healthcare institutions and policymakers to prioritize need based CPD programmes.