Integral Analysis of Alberta Registered Nurses' Mandated Professional Learning
Date
2019-12-18
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Abstract
This research explores the influences of continuing professional development (CPD) in nursing as a regulatory requirement for continuing competence. Ken Wilber’s Integral theory is the conceptual framework in the development of research questions, methodology, and data analysis concerning the phenomenon of mandatory CPD. Integral methodological pluralism is both the "view through," and "view from," therefore methodological pluralism best informed the research design of this study. The data from the phenomenological interviews anchored the other research methods to holistically reveal the experiences of nurses and nurse administrators in mandatory CPD. The goal of this research is a comprehensive understanding of nurses' experiences of regulated CPD situated in a hospital context. The themes revealed oppression, heavy workload, avoidance, and hostile work culture undermining the access to, and need and desire for CPD and continual (real-time) competence in nursing. The experiences and perceptions of CPD are significantly influenced by the regulatory continuing competence program, union, and work context. The explored lived experiences of registered nurses and nurse leaders in a medical-surgical unit of a major tertiary hospital show many instances of CPD, though not 'acceptable' within the regulatory regime. The analysis revealed that participation in CPD, healthy work teams, and effective continuing competence programming are critical for continuing competence in nursing. While the regulator focuses on their own compliance with the law, this research provides numerous implications and recommendations regarding nurses' compliance with CPD requirements. Nurses’ access to and participation in CPD would improve with shared understandings and collaborative approaches between nurses, employers and regulators.
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Regulation, Nursing, Continuing professional development, mandatory learning, Integral theory, AQAL
Citation
LaRiviere, M. (2019). Analysis of Alberta Registered Nurses' Mandated Professional Learning (Doctoral thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.