Assessment of Continuing Education Programme Among Practicing Nurses in Bauchi State

Abstract:

Continuing Education (CE) programme exposes health professionals to current trends in professional practice and improved patient care. This study was conducted to assess continuing education programmes among practicing nurses in Bauchi State. A cross sectional descriptive survey research design was used; multi-stage sampling technique was used to recruit 345 participants; questionnaires were used for data collection; 326 of the administered questionnaires were retrieved. Data were analysed using descriptive statistic of percentage; hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance. The result shows that majority (85.9%) of the respondents attended workshop and 52.8% attended conferences. Inappropriate date and time for programme, and irrelevant programmes to nursing practice were among the factors militating against nurses’ participation in CE programmes. Hypothesis tested revealed that rank of practicing nurses significantly influenced the type of continuing education programme they attended (χ^2=35.035, p=0.005). Nurses should engage in undergraduate and postgraduate continuing education programmes for professional development.