PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN THE CONTEXT OF PERFORMANCE-BASED RESEARCH APPLICATION: SUBJECTIVE ASSESSMENT OF HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS

Abstract

As no evidence of scientific studies analysing the professional development of healthcare professionals through reflective practice and performance-based research could be found, this study provides an opportunity to focus on professional performance-based research as a planned change strategy for the professional development of healthcare professionals. The study questions raised include: What is the theoretical rationale behind the professional development of healthcare professionals through reflective practice and performance-based research? What is the role of learning from experience and reflection in professional performance-based research for the professional development of healthcare professionals? Object of the study: professional development and performance-based research of healthcare professionals. Aim of the study: to analyse and ground the professional development potentials of healthcare professionals in the application of reflective and performance-based research. Objectives of the study: 1) to analyse the theoretical insights into the professional development of healthcare professionals through performance-based research, uncovering the need for and methods for professional development, the role of reflection, and the determinants of expression; 2) to explore healthcare professionals' attitudes towards professional development potentials in terms of reflective practice and application of performance-based research. Research methods: analysis of scientific literature, quantitative research (questionnaire survey).

Study sample. The survey included healthcare professionals who in the period between January-June 2023 were in non-formal education at the Centre for Continuing Studies of Klaipeda University Faculty of Social Studies and Humanities (total number of participants was 9).  The surveyed were healthcare professionals in the following fields (N = 126): nursing, public health, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, rehabilitation, radiology, acupuncture, and others. The sampling that has been chosen for the study – probability convenience, targeted. The sample is heterogeneous, with most respondents being female (76%), aged between 31 and 45 (68%), employed (85%), having more than 11 years of work experience (67%) and with a university degree (81%). 

Key results of the study. The respondents understand the relevance of professional development skills but have insufficient awareness of the benefits of learning from experience and reflection as effective ways to improve professional development. The respondents lack reflective thinking and experiential learning skills. Reflection and the use of performance-based research as a means of professional development is the choice of a small number of respondents. This indicates that only some of the respondents associate the skills of reflection and self-performance with the implementation of professional development in practice. Only one fifth of respondents see the development and practical testing of an individual career strategy as a motivating factor for their professional development. This demonstrates that the benefits of performance-based research and reflection are not sufficiently understood and put into practice among respondents. Only a fifth of respondents admit to practising critical reflection skills for learning from experience and improving their performance. The study suggests that healthcare professionals are insufficiently aware of the opportunities for their professional development through reflection and performance-based research. This opens up space for their education in future perspective.