Continuing professional development in higher education : a qualitative study of engagement in the field of nursing and midwfiery

Abstract

Continuing professional development (CPD) in higher education is an area of growing interest, debate and research, not only for individual lecturers, but also educational developers, professional bodies and institutions worldwide. This article outlines the first part of a qualitative study, using semi-structured interviews, which explored nursing and midwifery lecturers’ engagement in CPD. The second part of the study (not reported here) explored the impact of CPD. The findings have similarities with other studies in that CPD was found to be a complex phenomenon that held different meanings for individuals. Motivations to undertake CPD were identified as being both intrinsic and extrinsic, as were barriers to engaging in it. Future investigations could consider the relationship of CPD to the ‘dual’ professional roles held by many in academia and the development of a scholarly approach to CPD in higher education.