Poster 123 University Development of Interdisciplinary Online Continuing Professional Education Programs for Health Professionals

Most research on the definition of competency and its application in health professionals’ education programs is focused on semantic matters, while contextual influences are rarely discussed or solely presented as background context. The aim of this article is to gain a comprehensive understanding of the issues raised by definitions of competency and to describe the contextual factors that have given rise to those definitions. This is achieved by presenting the results of a literature review that synthesized different conceptualizations of competency. We analyzed relevant literature listed in the CINAHL, Embase, MEDLINE, and PsycINFO databases as of 2015. The results show that authors define competency based on two diverging driving forces: one aimed at professional regulation and the other at professional emancipation. The analysis revealed common grounds between these perspectives. From these common grounds we discuss the possibility of conceptualizing competency on a continuum instead of perpetuating the dichotomized discourses presented in the current literature. The integration of both perspectives gives the opportunity to rethink policies, structures and strategies of professional education toward an integrated perspective of professional development situated in a lifelong learning enterprise, achieving both minimal professional standards and excellence in healthcare practices from initial education throughout a career.

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Pharmacists’ Utilization of Information Sources Related to Community and Population Needs in the Upper Midwest and Associations with Continuing Professional Education

Pharmacy ◽

10.3390/pharmacy7030125 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 7 (3) ◽

pp. 125

Author(s):

Paul Henkel ◽

Marketa Marvanova

Keyword(s):

Professional Education ◽

Health Professionals ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Information Sources ◽

Continuing Professional Education ◽

Population Based ◽

Health Needs ◽

Local Health ◽

County Level ◽

Community Changes

Background: To investigate information sources utilized in pharmacists’ assessment of population-based health needs and/or community changes; and the association between information sources utilized and reported completion of continuing professional education topics. Methods: In 2017; licensed pharmacists (n = 1124) in North Dakota; South Dakota; Minnesota; Iowa; and Nebraska completed a questionnaire on continuing professional education and information sources on population-based health needs and community changes. Data were entered; cleaned and imported into Stata 11.1. Census Bureau county-level population density data were used to classify local area characteristics. Descriptive statistics and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed. Results: Most sources of primary; county-level data on population-based health needs or community changes were minimally utilized. Pharmacists in more rural areas were statistically more likely to use local health professionals; local non-health professionals; and/or the state health department compared to pharmacists in less rural areas. Pharmacists reporting higher use of population-based information sources were more likely to have completed continuing education in the past 12 months for all 21 surveyed topics; 13 significantly so. Conclusions: There is a reliance of pharmacists on information from local health and non-health professionals for information on population-based health needs and/or community changes. Utilization of health departments and other primary information sources was associated with increased rates of completion of an array of continuing professional education topics. Expanding utilization of evidence-driven information sources would improve pharmacists’ ability to better identify and respond to population-based health needs and/or community changes through programs and services offered; and tailor continuing professional education to population-based health needs.

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Legal aspects in the infectious disease specialist’s practice

Rossiyskiy Vestnik Perinatologii i Pediatrii (Russian Bulletin of Perinatology and Pediatrics) ◽

10.21508/1027-4065-2020-65-2-7-14 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 65 (2) ◽

pp. 7-14

Author(s):

L. N. Mazankova ◽

I. V. Ponkin ◽

T. A. Chebotareva ◽

A. A Ponkina

Keyword(s):

Infectious Disease ◽

Professional Education ◽

Legal Status ◽

Continuing Professional Education ◽

Legal Aspects ◽

Infectious Disease Specialist ◽

Professional Competencies ◽

Education Programs ◽

Legal Literacy ◽

Disease Specialist

The article studies a legal status and specific legal aspects in the practice of the infectious disease specialist. The authors of the article emphasize how important it is to develop legal literacy and competence (as one of the doctor’s professional competencies) within the framework of continuing professional education programs.

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CONTINUING EDUCATION OF NURSES IN BULGARIA ORGANIZATION AND DEVELOPMENT

Knowledge International Journal ◽

10.35120/kij28031111m ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 28 (3) ◽

pp. 1111-1116

Author(s):

Maria Spasova

Keyword(s):

Continuing Education ◽

Professional Education ◽

Health Professionals ◽

Health Care Professionals ◽

Financial Incentive ◽

Continuing Professional Education ◽

Credit System ◽

Knowledge And Skills ◽

Traditional Course ◽

Eu Member States

The dynamics of today's world requires every one of us to maintain, upgrade and refine our knowledge and skills lifelong. For the nurses whose profession is regulated in the EU member states, as well in Bulgaria, continuing education is a key element of their professional development. One of the main objectives of the continuing professional education (CPE) is to contribute to the acquisition of new knowledge and skills in a way, appropriate to meet the needs of а present-day medical practice. The institution that organizes, coordinates, provides and registers continuing professional education of the health care professionals is Bulgarian Association of health professionals in nursing (BAHPN). There are different forms of professional educations – courses, congresses, conferences, seminars, ets. For estimation of the various forms of the continuing education in 2006 have been applied United Credit System (UCS), according to which for participation in each provided form credit points were given. The instrument for registration was the National Electronic Professional Register (NEPR).The aim of this study was to analyze retrospectively the trends in the development of continuing education of nurses in Bulgaria for a period from 2006 until the end of 2017. A database from NEPR with 86866 registered participations was used. Inclusion criterion included that health professionals were nurses, with or without registered CPE participations. The study employed retrospective analysis, documentary and statistical methods.The system of continuing professional education of the nurses in our country is an actively developing system that provides equal access and variety of forms of CPE, credited by BAHPN’s United Credit System. The most preferred form of CPE for the nurses was a traditional course. Participation in other forms of continuing education was under the expected levels and occupied a share of only 14.35% in the total structure of continuing education.The registered number of CPE participations for the observed period is a reason to designate nurses as "learning professionals". Despite the existence of some barriers to participation in continuing education, nurses accomplish their professional ethical commitment by actively building their knowledge and skills. The results of the survey revealed the need of measures to motivate nurses to participate more actively in the different forms of continuing education. Motivation could be achieved through interventions to provide support from the employer and colleagues as well as providing opportunities for sponsoring training and regulating a financial incentive to achieve higher competency.

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Continuing Education for Lay Ministry: Providers, Beliefs, Issues, and Programs

Canadian Journal of University Continuing Education ◽

10.21225/d5130f ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 28 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Leona M. English

Keyword(s):

Continuing Education ◽

Professional Education ◽

Continuing Professional Education ◽

Lay Ministry ◽

Religious Organizations ◽

Education Programs ◽

C Programs ◽

Lay Ministers ◽

Group B

Research into continuing professional education (CPE) has been a constant for many professionals, including those pastors and clergy who work in religious organizations. Continuing education for lay ministers (non-ordained) in churches, however, generally has not been given this close scrutiny or attention. This article reports on research conducted with 35 leaders of lay ministry education programs in Canada, to provide information on their (a) demographics as a group (b) attitudes toward church and church bodies, and the amount of support they received from the community, and (c) programs and their participants. This study contributes to an understanding of continuing education for lay ministry.

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