Secret study: a new concept in continuing professional education.

Formal post-registration continuing professional education (CPE) has been explored previously, however, not from the perspectives of perioperative nurses. Using a descriptive qualitative approach, interviews were conducted with 23 perioperative nurses who had recent experience of formal university-based study. Analysis of interview transcripts revealed the extent to which participants revealed their CPE lay on a continuum; some told all colleagues they were studying ('public study') whilst others told no-one ('secret study'). These decisions appeared to relate to the cultural discourse of their workplace, participants' academic confidence, and potential ramifications of failure. The concept of 'secret study' has not previously been explored, but is of significance to both nurses and educators: further research is required to indicate transferability of these findings outside of perioperative care.