By Grace Q. Bryant
Nursing Online Liberia, a group of healthcare professionals accredited by the Liberia Board for Nursing and Midwifery, has launched the country’s first Continuing Professional Development (CPD) program.
This initiative aims to enhance healthcare service quality across Liberia.
The official launch and certification ceremony took place on at the A.M. Dogliotti College of Health Sciences, University of Liberia, in Congo Town. The event brought together 57 healthcare professionals from five accredited training institutions.
The Liberia Board for Nurses and Midwives oversaw the certification, with attendees representing leading medical institutions such as John F. Kennedy (JFK) Medical Center, Catholic Hospital, SD Cooper Hospital, Redemption Hospital, and ELWA Hospital.
According to the Liberia Medical and Dental Council (LMDC), CPD is measured in Continuing Education Units (CEUs), where one CEU equals 10 hours of active learning. In Liberia, all healthcare professionals, including dentists, must complete 4 CEUs (approximately 40 hours) every two years.
Speaking after the ceremony, Shirley Seckey Fahnbulleh, Founder of Nursing Online Liberia, emphasized that CPD will become mandatory for all healthcare workers in Liberia starting April 2025.
She noted that the Liberia Board for Nursing and Midwifery, the Ministry of Health, and the University of Liberia College Of Health Sciences (ULCHS) are working together under the BRIDGE-U Liberia Project to review and update CPD guidelines.
“Until now, Liberia did not have a CPD provider. Nursing Online Liberia is now accredited as the country’s first national CPD provider,”Fahnbulleh stated.
She highlighted that the program drew participation from professionals at major hospitals, as well as representatives from regulatory bodies such as the Liberia Environmental Health Board, the Laboratory Board, the Liberia Medical and Dental Council, and the West African Postgraduate College for Nurses and Midwives. A team from the Chief Nursing and Midwifery Office at the Ministry of Health also attended.
Delivering the keynote address, Dr. Soday Lake praised the CPD program, stating that certification and advanced training open doors to career advancement and leadership roles.
“This initiative is a major step forward in leveraging technology for professional development in nursing,” said Dr. Lake.
He stressed that CPD is not only essential for improving patient care but also necessary for Liberia to keep pace with the evolving global health sector. Online education, he added, is critical for ensuring high-quality training for health professionals and students.
“CPD programs help professionals stay updated, reinforce their knowledge, and build trust with patients and their families. I encourage all healthcare workers to take full advantage of this opportunity,” Dr. Lake concluded.
Nursing Online Liberia was founded in 2017 by a team of professionals committed to providing training for nurses and midwives. While the Liberia Board for Nursing and Midwifery granted its accreditation as a national CPD provider, the initiative took shape after the 2019 COVID outbreak, which underscored the importance of online training—especially in infection prevention and control. With CPD now a requirement for healthcare professionals in Liberia, this initiative marks a transformative step in strengthening the country’s healthcare workforce.
