Professional Development Needs of Haematology Nurses in Teaching Hospitals in the South East Geopolitical Zone of Nigeria

This study identifies the professional development needs of haematology nurses working in teaching hospitals across the South East geopolitical zone of Nigeria, comprising Anambra, Imo, Enugu, Abia, and Ebonyi States. Haematology nursing requires specialised knowledge in blood disorder management, transfusion safety, stem cell transplant care, and chemotherapy administration, yet structured needs assessment for this cadre is absent in the Nigerian literature. A cross-sectional descriptive survey was conducted among 180 nurses working in haematology units at five teaching hospitals in the South East zone. A validated professional development needs assessment questionnaire evaluated self-reported competency and training gaps across 12 haematology nursing domains. Overall, the highest needs were identified in stem cell transplant nursing (reported by 91%), haemostasis and coagulation management (84%), leukaemia care (79%), and blood component therapy (71%). On-the-job training was the most common developmental method used, cited by 82 percent, while formal postgraduate haematology nursing programmes had been accessed by only 14 percent. Funding constraints and lack of institutional support were the primary barriers to continuing professional development. The study recommends development of a structured South East zone haematology nursing curriculum delivered through a collaborative hospital consortium, introduction of haematology clinical nurse specialist roles, and dedicated professional development budgets in teaching hospital human resource plans. Keywords: professional development, haematology nursing, teaching hospitals, South East Nigeria, competency.