What is CPD?
Since July 2010 all nurses and midwives who are engaged in any form of nursing or midwifery practice are required to complete a minimum of 20 hours continuing professional development (CPD). The CPD must be relevant to their context of practice in order to maintain their Australian registration.
All nurses and midwives will be required to make a legally binding declaration that they have met the standard and have completed the necessary CPD each time they apply for their annual renewal of registration. You must keep evidence of the CPD completed as you may be selected for audit by the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Board.
eLearning is a convenient & accessible method to gain CPD hours
Please note that it is your own professional responsibility to source the CPD hours and to maintain your documentation of the activities you undertake. It is not your employer’s responsibility to provide or monitor your CPD.
Your CPD record must include dates, number of hours, and a brief reflection on the impact of the activity on your practice. There may be a CPD portfolio template already available at your workplace, so ask your nurse educator. Feel free to download our paper based template – it’s free with no strings attached. It isn’t fancy, but lots of nurses have used it in the past and have got through their CPD audits with flying colours. There are also electronic versions that come with professional memberships, or you can purchase iPhone applications for just a few dollars. Remember, it doesn’t have to be complicated; it just needs to suit the way you feel comfortable recording your activities. Participation in mandatory skills acquisition may be counted as CPD, too.
There are lots of ways that you can gather your CPD hours, and completing eLearning programs that are relevant to your role can be a convenient and accessible method of getting several hours under your belt.
20 hours of CPD is required annually
With all of our programs, you print a certificate with the number of active learning hours at the end of each program.
One hour of active learning equals one hour of CPD.
It is the nurse or midwife’s responsibility to calculate how many hours of active learning have taken place.
If CPD activities are relevant to both nursing and midwifery professions, those activities may be counted in each portfolio of professional development.
The CPD must be relevant to the nurse or midwife’s context of practice. Nurses and midwives must keep written documentation of CPD that demonstrates evidence of completion of a minimum of 20 hours of CPD per year.
For more information regarding CPD and the different ways you can gather CPD hours, please go to the Australian and Nursing Midwifery Board website at www.nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au/Codes-Guidelines-Statements/FAQ/CPD-FAQ-for-nurses-and-midwives.aspx
We hope you enjoy our programs!
References:
ANMC (Australian Nursing and Midwifery Council) (2009):Continuing Competence Framework for Nursing and Midwives
Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia: Guidelines for Continuing Professional Development