The utility of CPD for older adult mental health nurses.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate how mental health nurses working with older adults perceive the benefits and realities of developing the outcomes of current continuing professional development training into actual clinical practice.


METHODS
A structured questionnaire was used with a convenience sample of nursing staff. Qualitative analysis was performed using a grounded theory approach in order to identify emergent themes, concepts and categories of data. Four randomly selected nurses were subjected to a voluntary semistructured interview using the questionnaire as a basis for information gathering.


RESULTS
The main reason for attending courses was developing skills. Of those attending courses, 42 per cent of qualified and 35 per cent of unqualified staff had a personal development plan (PDP) or individual performance review (IPR). Significantly, all unqualified staff who had not been on a course had no PDP or IPR. Learning was described as applicable to practice by 85 per cent of unqualified and 70 per cent of qualified staff. However, 28 per cent of unqualified staff and 20 per cent of qualified staff felt their practice had not changed as a result of their learning.


CONCLUSIONS
CPD can be a positive experience, providing nurses with the opportunity to direct their professional development.
Bush
Tony
T
Ty Siriol Unit, County Hospital, Pontypool.
Meadows-Smith
Donna
D
Snowdon-Carr
Vanessa
V
Rao
V Bapuji
VB
Collishaw
Helen
H
D000368:Aged; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000592:standards; D004509:Education, Nursing, Continuing / Q000592:standards*; D005852:Geriatric Psychiatry / Q000193:education / Q000458:organization & administration; D006040:Goals; D018166:Health Care Reform / Q000458:organization & administration; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D009042:Motivation; D020380:Needs Assessment; D015402:Nursing Education Research; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D009740:Nursing Staff / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology; D015279:Organizational Culture; D009936:Organizational Innovation; D011568:Psychiatric Nursing / Q000193:education* / Q000458:organization & administration; D036301:Qualitative Research; D020377:Self Efficacy; D012944:Social Support; D013192:Staff Development / Q000592:standards; D013222:State Medicine / Q000458:organization & administration; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires