CONTINUING TRAINING OF HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS - PROBLEMS AND TRENDS

Abstract

In modern conditions, many challenges arise for the class of health care professionals. Health care professions are changing and evolving according to economic and political realities, leading to the need for continuous change and professional development. The continuous development of technologies in medicine leads to an increase in the need for continuous training for the medical professions. The formation of professional competence in health care professionals is a long and complex process, which is realized within their training, but continues to improve after their implementation. The aim of the study is to analyze the problems related to the continuing education of health care professionals in hospital care. A survey was conducted of students studying in the Master's program "Health Care Management" at the Faculty of Public Health of the Medical University - Sofia.The study included 80 first- and second-year students. The survey was conducted in the school year 2020/2021. The results show that, according to a significant part of the respondents, the continuing education courses increase their professional competencies. Only half of the respondents indicate that in their participation in various forms of continuing education they have acquired new knowledge and skills, which shows the need to develop curricula aimed at supplementing and rewarding the basic professional knowledge and competencies of health care professionals. When conducting training that does not include new knowledge and skills, it leads to a decrease in the interest of specialists and reduces their motivation for further training. There are no positive answers from the respondents to the question whether they perform activities for which they are not trained. However, according to the respondents, it is necessary to make more efforts and apply modern incentives to motivate health care professionals for more active participation in the forms of continuing education by the management of the medical institution. In order to provide trained and qualified healthcare professionals in healthcare facilities, it is essential to pursue a policy and strategy supporting continuing education by developing and funding staff training programs. Stimulating and motivating specialists to participate in continuing education should become one of the priority directions of hospital management.