Continuing Professional Development for Nurses

Please note that this is copied from nursesfornursesau blogspot.

Continuing Professional Development

There has been a lot of discussion regarding the Continual Professional Development (CPD) requirements for Registered, Enrolled Nurses and Midwives from the 1st of July 2010. The CPD requirements are one component of the Continuing Competence Framework that the Australian Nursing & Midwifery Council (ANMC) has developed to protect the public by ensuring base line competence requirements are met.

The CPD requirements are actually straight forward:

1. The nurse needs to reflect on their education requirements based on their role and develop a learning plan to meet those requirements.
2. The nurse is then required to undertake education that meets the education requirements identified in their plan.
3. "Nurses and midwives will participate in at least 20 hours (points) of CPD per year, with a minimum of 60 hours (points) every three years. Documentation of participation in CPD must be completed at least once each year." One hour of learning equals one CPD point.
4. The nurse is responsible to provide evidence of CPD activities, this "Documentation must provide details of any CPD activities, including dates, a brief description and hours (points) spent in each activity."
5. CPD activities may be self directed which includes education provided via the in service program of the nurses employer or may be individual nurses seeking information from journals etc.
6. CPD activities may be formal which includes programs provided by a number of professional organisations these programs do not have to be endorsed to provide education by an accrediting body.
7. "Participation in mandatory continuing education, such as Basic Life Support training or manual handling, should not be counted as CPD unless active learning of new knowledge or skills has taken place."
8. "Examples of Effective CPD Activities
   • Reflecting on feedback, keeping a practice journal
   • Acting as a preceptor/mentor/tutor
   • Participating on accreditation, audit or quality improvement committees
   • Undertaking supervised practice for skills development
   • Participating in clinical audits, critical incident monitoring, case reviews and clinical meetings
   • Participating in a professional reading and discussion group
   • Developing skills in IT, numeracy, communications, improving own performance, problem solving and working with others
   • Writing or reviewing educational materials, journal articles, books
   • Active membership of professional groups and committees
   • Reading professional journals or books
   • Writing for publication
   • Developing policy, protocols or guidelines
   • Working with a mentor to improve practice
   • Presenting at or attending workplace education, in service sessions or skills workshops
   • Undertaking undergraduate or postgraduate studies which are of relevance to the context of practice
   • Presenting at or attending conferences, lectures, seminars or professional meetings
   • Conducting or contributing to research
   • Undertaking relevant online or distance education"

It is not a complicated process - reflect on your requirements, seek education to address same, document attendance so that you have evidence of same.
 
Don't get confused by the large number of organisations who are identifying that they have courses specifically designed to provide CPD points - as you can see from the list of examples of CPD activities this is not required. 
 
Also be aware that the Royal College of Nursing allocates CNE points (Continuing Nurse Education) to conferences and education courses but these points are not required to be collected to achieve the ANMC requirements.