Analysis of Determinants of Readiness for Professional Development Among Polish Nurses

Anna Bartosiewicz,Małgorzata Nagórska,Andrzej Różański,Edyta Łuszczki

doi:10.3390/ijerph16101800

Abstract

The continuous development of medical sciences and the introduction of new diagnostic methods and treatment with the use of specialized equipment means that the knowledge and skills acquired during university studies are no longer sufficient. This obliges nursing staff to raise their professional qualifications in order to provide the appropriate quality of medical services. The aim of the study was an analysis of nurses readiness for learning and development and factors determining this readiness. The study was conducted among 756 nurses. The questionnaire method adopted was the readiness of employees for learning and development (RELD) standardized questionnaire, and a questionnaire containing sociodemographic data of the respondents. For the subscales of readiness for learning and development, average results were predominant and concerned in particular the level of openness to changes in environment (A1 scale), and self-evaluation of past educational development (C5 scale). The readiness of the nurses examined to learn and develop was on an average level for all the subscales. Younger nurses, with a lower seniority, having higher education and additional qualifications had a higher readiness for learning and development.

Highlights

Lifelong learning is becoming an economic imperative, and acquiring new skills is crucial in many professions in this age of technological change, given its demography and the labor market [1,2].Readiness is defined as the ability to undertake a certain activity and as an index it reflects the scale of actions undertaken by individuals in order to continue their education and career development, to complement and enrich professional practice [3,4]
According to the author of the questionnaire used in the present study, readiness is the consent to being available at the workplace, understood as giving the employer the disposal of the individual’s abilities and time [3]
The present study investigated the readiness of Polish nurses to learn and develop

Summary

Introduction

Readiness is defined as the ability to undertake a certain activity and as an index it reflects the scale of actions undertaken by individuals in order to continue their education and career development, to complement and enrich professional practice [3,4] This is accurately described by Herbert: “The capacity to learn is a gift; the ability to learn is a skill; the willingness to learn is a choice” [5]. According to the author of the questionnaire used in the present study, readiness is the consent to being available at the workplace, understood as giving the employer the disposal of the individual’s abilities and time [3] He distinguishes three concepts referring to adults learning: Situational readiness (understood as a single educational event), readiness to learn and develop in the workplace (professional development), and readiness to develop in the aspect of lifelong learning (understood broadly—as a lifestyle) [3] (Figure 1). In the context of dynamic technological change, globalization and demographic change, lifelong learning is considered even more important than ever before [6,7,8]

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Conclusion