Continuous professional development of nurses and ICNP ® introduction in Poland

Objectives The aim of the study was to explore Polish nurses’ readiness to use the International Classification for Nursing Practice (ICNP ® ) as part of continuous professional development and life-long learning. Material and Methods The study included 772 nurses, divided into 2 study groups. The first group comprised those who had participated in a course enhancing the knowledge and improving skills in the use of ICNP ® terminology (N = 457). The second group comprised people who had not yet attended such a course (N = 315). Results In the pre-course group, education correlated significantly with a general knowledge of ICNP ® and its components, as the answers to 9 out of 13 questions revealed (p > 0.05). In the postcourse group, such a correlation was observed in the answers to all the questions except the following: “Is it possible to implement ICNP ® in your place of work?” (ρ = 0.066, p = 0.137). Statistically significant differences were found when it comes to the correlation of all 13 questions and the results with the overall level of knowledge of ICNP ® . A higher level of agreement with the questions and a higher level of knowledge were observed in the post-course group. However, this did not apply to the following question: “Is it possible to implement ICNP ® in your place of work?” (Z = –0.06, p = 0.955, r = 0.002). Conclusions Effective pre- and postgraduate education prepares nurses for working with ICNP ® terminology. In fact, IT tools, implemented into the education process, could help to develop skills and the understanding of how nurses can use ICNP ® in the nursing process. There are some obvious difficulties with the practical implementation of ICNP ® into clinical practice. Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2020;33(3):353–63