Non-formal CNE Program Barriers to Participation: A Comparative Study among Hospital Nurses of two Provinces in Pakistan
Abstract
Zafar Iqbal Channa Asia Nazir and Waqas Latif
Rapid scientific and technological discoveries have increased demands of specialized nursing care. Because knowledge and skills can be replaced by engaging nurses in a set amount of continuing nursing education (CNE) program activities. Literature suggested that degree or license is not the end point of education after basic nursing study. Apparently, basic nursing education for practice becomes obsolete within five to ten years of graduation. This obsolescence can lead to the poor performance of nurses in clinical practice. Therefore, a comparative study was designed to investigate and compare most influential and predicting barriers to participation among hospital nurses of two provinces in Pakistan. This was a cross sectional analytical study in which convenience sampling approach was used to collect data of three hundred (n=300) nurses through “Barriers to Participation Questionnaire” (BPQ). Quantitatively, result interpretation was set as “the lower the mean score in each type of barrier, higher the barrier was measured due to reverse Likert scale rating. Generally, administrative barrier was found higher and most prevalent barrier, work-related barrier was more predictive and financial barriers as predicting barrier as compare to family and personal barrier. Data also revealed that Punjab nurses have greater administrative with mean score of 2.16±0.87 and work-related barriers with mean score of 2.43±0.81 than the nurses from Sindh province with mean score of 2.26±0.75 and 2.81±0.90. Regarding financial barrier, both provinces nurses have equal level barriers than the family and personal barriers among nurses of two provinces. To keep nurses connected with advanced knowledge in rapidly changing health care environment, more opportunities for non-formal CNE programs should be provided for employed nurses both in and outside of the organization