An Investigation into Continuous Professional Development Practices among Biomedical Scientists: A Case Study of Selected Laboratory and Health Facilities in the Ashanti Region
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Date
2011
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Abstract
Continuous professional development (CPD) is the means by which members of professional associations maintain, improve and broaden their knowledge and skills and develop the personal qualities required in their professional lives. Participation in CPD matches up the lab scientist to the ever changing challenges in the health sector. The objective of this study is to investigate CPD activities and practices among laboratory scientists in the Ashanti region, Ghana.
Seventy-eight (78) medical laboratory professionals participated in the study. Questionnaires were administered to the participants and the continuous data were analyzed using the t-test, while categorical data were analyzed using the Fisher’s exact test or X2 for trend. The study showed, 80.8% had participated in CPD activity in the last 12 months of work while 19.2%, had not. The study also showed 84% and 71% incidence participation in CPD activities for males and females respectively. The lack of a policy guideline (35%), lack of adequate funding (30%) and the neglect of laboratory profession (17%) were identified as barriers for implementation of CPD activities being barriers to bringing CPD activities to fruition. Based on the findings of the study, it is recommended that human resource (HR) managers adopt less expensive routes for CPD program to enable wider coverage for CPD participation for its members. The HR department should ensure the provision of logistics for CPD, like computes to enable online CPD programs which are easy and cheaper to develop the professionals. The study recognized the role of professional and regulatory bodies of some association and recommends the lab association to be involved similarly.
Description
A Thesis submitted to the Institute of Distance Learning, Kwame
Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in partial fulfillment of
the requirements for the degree of
Commonwealth Executive Masters of Business
Administration,