FAQs on Professional Development

Monday, 06 September 2010 19:16

Mandatory Continued Professional Development (CPD) has been welcomed with open arms by Nurses and Midwives.  Nurses are health care professionals and as such pride themselves in being up to date.

Any resistance felt comes mostly from ambiguity surrounding the exact requirements nurses and midwives are now required to meet.

What is CPD?

Mandatory CPD is essentially a formalised approach to maintaining, developing and increasing your knowledge, competency and skills along with the personal and professional qualities required to do your job as a Nurse.

1 hour of CPD is equal to 1 hour of active learning¹.  CPD activities must be relevant to your context of practice.  This may include formal activities such as courses, conferences and workshops, as well as self directed activities such as preceptorship and journal reading.

What exactly does this mean I have to do?

Nurses and Midwives are required to maintain their registrations and endorsements by completing and evidencing the minimum amount of CPD hours each year.

All Nurses and Midwives are required to complete CPD but not all Nurses and Midwives have to complete the same amount.  The minimum amount of CPD you must complete depends on your registrations and endorsements.

Most nurses and Midwives do CPD each year without really thinking about it so the biggest change comes in the form evidencing completed CPD through documentation that meets the NMBA Registration Standards.

You Must:

• Complete the minimum amount of CPD hours required according to your qualifications.
• Evidence completion with documentation that should follow the CPD cycle (which involves reviewing practice, identifying learning needs, planning and participating in learning activities and reflecting on the value of those activities (ANMC 2009)
• Keep records for three years incase you are audited

How should I record CPD?

There are many ways you can document your CPD.  The important thing to ensure is that you are following the CPD cycle and meeting the NMBA Registration Standards.

eNurse Professional File - 4 Simple Steps to Compliance

Your eNurse Professional File has a CPD Portfolio in it that has been structured to meet the national requirements.  It follows 4 simple steps to ensure your CPD documentation is compliant.

1. Step 1 - Calculates your required CPD hours
2. Step 2 - Allows you to create some Learning Needs
3. Step 3 - Fill out the pre-set Learning Plan
4. Step 4 - Record the activity and reflect on the value it has had on your practice.

For more information or to activate your Professional File click here.

Information sourced from:

You can visit the NMBA website FAQs and Facts Sheets page here.

REFERENCES: 1-NBMA - Nursing & Midwifery Continuing Professional Development Registrations Standards, accessed 02/02/2011