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A Proposed Systematic Model for Continuing Professional Development (CPD) of Iranian Nurses Based on Lessons Learned from the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia: A Comparative Analysis
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Atefeh Alizadeh risani   , Mahdie Bahrami , Seyedehzahra Hosseinigolafshani * |
| , z.hoseinigolafshani@qums.ac.ir |
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Abstract: (13 Views) |
Background: Despite legal requirements for nurses’ continuing professional development (CPD), the current continuing education system in Iran faces challenges in clinical effectiveness. The present study aimed to design a contextualized model of mandatory CPD for nurses in Iran based on lessons learned from the educational systems of the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia.
Methods: This comparative study utilized Bereday’s four-stage approach (description, interpretation, juxtaposition, and comparison) in 2025. Data were systematically retrieved from legal documents, policy reports, and scientific literature (2010–2024) via PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, CINAHL, SID, and Magiran. Countries were compared across structural, legislative, accreditation, and regulatory domains using eight operational indicators. Grounded in the synthesized lessons learned, the preliminary model’s content validity and feasibility were appraised and confirmed by an expert panel of nurse educators, nursing executives, and CPD policymakers.
Results: The comparative lessons learned revealed that the continuing education system in the United States is decentralized and state-based, such that continuing nursing education for license renewal is mandatory in 38 states and voluntary in 12. In contrast, the United Kingdom and Australia emphasize reflective, participatory, and competency-based learning, whereas the Iranian system—despite its strong electronic infrastructure—is largely credit-oriented and faces weaknesses in clinical needs assessment and a lack of performance-based evaluations. Based on these lessons learned, the proposed contextualized model was designed around three central pillars: (1) redesigning the credit system (classified into basic, specialized, and reflective credits), (2) diversifying learning approaches (simulation and interprofessional education), and (3) an intelligent regulatory mechanism (random annual audit of 5% of nurses’ reflective portfolios).
Conclusion: This study establishes an evidence-informed preliminary framework for shifting Iran’s continuing professional development (CPD) in nursing toward a reflective, competency-oriented model. While an expert panel verified the construct validity and preliminary feasibility of the framework’s core pillars, scalable national adoption will require broader national Delphi consensus and pragmatic pilot trials across regional healthcare clusters.
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| Keywords: Continuing Nursing Education, Professional Development, Comparative Analysis, Lessons Learned, Iran. |
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Full-Text [PDF 1504 kb]
(3 Downloads)
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Type of Study: Review |
Subject:
Special
Received: 2026/08/3 | Accepted: 2026/10/19 | Published: 2026/11/1
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