Background: As a measure of quality control, the Alabama Board of Nursing subjected the regulations for mandatory continuing education (MCE) for licensure to an evaluation of their impact and effectiveness. This study focused on licensees' perceptions of the regulations regarding reasonableness, access, and value.
Method: Evaluation research methods were used to answer research questions related to the rules governing continuing education (CE) requirements for nursing licensure. Data were obtained from a survey of a random sample (N = 406) of RNs and licensed practical nurses. Both qualitative and quantitative methods were applied to data analysis.
Findings: Requirements for CE were perceived as reasonable; however, concerns were identified related to cost, access, and quality of presentations. Licensees perceived CE to be of value, and applied CE to decision-making and action in nursing practice. Chi-square analysis was significant to license type related to selected variables (e.g., rights and responsibilities). Qualitative analysis provided insight regarding licensees' concerns and recommendations for change.
Conclusion: Mandatory continuing education (MCE) plays a significant role in promoting competence in nursing practice and is a mechanism for enhancing public protection. A high noncompliance rate on the MCE audit has ramifications for enforcement regulations.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.