Evaluating the Effectiveness of Continuing Professional Development Programs on Nursing Competence Improvement

Posted: Nov 22, 2023

• Corbin Foster
• Wesley Rivera
• Ellie Greene

Abstract

The landscape of healthcare delivery continues to evolve at an unprecedented pace, driven by technological advancements, changing patient demographics, and increasing complexity of clinical care. Within this dynamic environment, the role of continuing professional development (CPD) programs in maintaining and enhancing nursing competence has gained critical importance. Traditional approaches to evaluating CPD effectiveness have predominantly relied on self-assessment surveys, pre-post test scores, and satisfaction ratings, which provide limited insight into the actual development and integration of professional competencies. These conventional methods often fail to capture the multidimensional, interconnected nature of nursing competence and the complex pathways through which professional development occurs. This research addresses fundamental gaps in current evaluation methodologies by introducing a novel computational framework that leverages advanced analytics to model nursing competence development. Our approach moves beyond simplistic linear models of skill acquisition to recognize the emergent, networked nature of professional competence. We conceptualize nursing competence not as a collection of isolated skills but as an integrated system.