T. Dowswell et al., Child care responsibilities and participation in continuing education and training: issues relating to motivation, funding and domestic roles, J ADV NURS, 32(2), 2000, pp. 445-453
Changes in the organization and funding of health services and in the educa
tion and training of NHS staff have placed increased influence in the hands
of employers and individual students as users of continuing professional d
evelopment. Against this policy context an interview study was carried out
with students participating in a range of continuing professional developme
nt activities. The sample included 89 participants attending a range of cou
rses. Approximately half of the sample had children. Many of the participan
ts were attending courses in their own rather than in their employers' time
and several were self-funding. The influence of domestic responsibilities
on motivations, along with the impact of course participation on home and f
amily life, were examined, Results revealed that those with children were l
ess likely to perceive continuing education in a positive light compared to
those without. The impact of course participation on home and family life
was invariably negative and for some the consequences were serious. The pol
icy implications of findings are discussed.