A continuing professional development system for nurses and midwives in South Africa

• Published: 2008
• Subjects: Training of nurses; Training of midwives; Nursing study and teaching (Continuing education); Midwifery study and teaching (Continuing education)
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/1719

D.Cur. === Since 1994, the government has engaged in extensive transformative processes that included the reviewing and restructuring of all relevant legislation, organisations, institutions and statutory bodies. These transformative demands resulted in the development and implementation of a new constitution and ensuing transformative legislation and policies. It is for this reason that the Department of Health, in attempting to transform the health system in South Africa, developed a strategy known as the Health Sector Strategic Framework, which sets out a 10-point plan. This plan states amongst others, that health professions and professional bodies develop Continuing Professional Development (CPD) systems/programmes. Over and above this other transformative developments in the education and labour frameworks, professional conduct hearings and national and international benchmarking influenced the need for a CPD system for nurses and midwives in South Africa. The problem statement is that there is no formalised and regulated CPD system for nurses and midwives in South Africa. The following research questions are relevant: • What is the international trend with regard to CPD for nurses and midwives? • What is the national trend with regard to CPD for healthcare professionals in South Africa? • What will a CPD system for nurses and midwives in South Africa comprise? • How will a CPD system for nurses and midwives in South Africa be implemented to ensure credibility? The overall aim of this study was to develop a CPD system for nurses and midwives in South Africa. To accomplish this overall aim the following objectives were formulated: • To explore and describe existing knowledge frameworks on Continuing Professional Development for nurses and midwives in selected countries, internationally and for health professionals in South Africa • To describe the draft CPD system for nurses and midwives in South Africa • To describe a final CPD system for nurses and midwives in South Africa. This study was conducted within the context of the South African professional, ethical and legal framework for Continuing Professional Development for nurses and midwives in South Africa. A descriptive, exploratory and contextual design was conducted. The description of a draft CPD system was based on the theoretical framework. The draft CPD system was developed from 9 June 2000 until May 2003 and exposed to critical reflection by the stakeholders of the SANC, the profession at large and the human resource directorates in each of the nine (9) provinces in South Africa. The researcher developed the final CPD system for nurses and midwives in South Africa. This final CPD system was exposed to critical reflection to confirm face and content validity, followed by a refinement of the CPD system. Emerging from this research and based on the feedback of the validators/appraisers, recommendations are made with reference to practice, nursing and midwifery education and research: The implementation of a formal, coordinated and regulated CPD system for nurses and midwives in South Africa is necessary as part of a quality promotion initiative and to meet the requirements of the transformative legislation especially pertaining to the labour and education legal framework.