Continuing professional education: identifying the characteristics of an effective system

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Abstract
The need for a functioning system of continuing professional education (CPE) in nursing, midwifery and health visiting has received increased attention in recent years However, whilst the literature describes a number of benefits, detailed empirical studies have been limited There is, in particular, a dearth of information on nurses' perceptions of the important components of a CPE programme Using the results of a recent evaluation of the Welsh National Board's Framework for Continuing Education, this paper highlights a number of key issues identified by practitioners, educators and managers throughout Wales Using a structure—process‐outcome model, attention is focused on the outcomes of CPE and the structure and process variables which facilitate or inhibit success The results indicate a strong commitment to the principles of CPE and identify a complex range of perceived benefits Potential barriers inhibiting both the uptake of CPE and the achievement of subsequent change are discussed and the need to create an equitable, well‐resourced system is stressed