Perceptions of select registered nurses of the continuing competence program of the Saskatchewan registered nurses' association.

Nursing is a self-regulating profession, and most professional nursing jurisdictions across Canada have undertaken the creation of Continuing Competence Programs (CCPs), with the goals of promoting good nursing practice, encouraging continuous learning, contributing to the quality of nursing practice, and optimizing client outcomes. Most CCPs call for a professional portfolio to collect, synthesize, and analyze professional experiences, including documentation of peer feedback and preparation of a learning plan. In the province of Saskatchewan, Canada, there is a self-reflective tool that enables registered nurses to self-rate their achievement of a set of foundational competencies. This article explores the perceptions that select registered nurses have about the CCP in Saskatchewan and how their view of the degree of professional control (as assessed through locus of control) that they have affects their perspective about the outcomes of the program. The study was designed to assess how perceived locus of control was related to how registered nurses view the implementation of the CCP in Saskatchewan. Copyright 2009, SLACK Incorporated.