Continuing Professional Development (CPD) ensures the level of professionalism and knowledge of registered and enrolled nurses is improved and enhanced on an on-going basis enabling the provision of quality care. Since 2004 Altura Learning has provided programs designed to increase and update the knowledge and skills of nurses and other care staff, and ultimately the lives of older people.
Do I need to complete CPD?
You must undertake 35 hours of CPD hours relevant to your scope of practice as a nurse, midwife, nursing associate or combination in the three year period since you joined the register or since your registration was last reviewed. 20 of these hours are required to be participatory learning which means the activity must be undertaken with one or more professionals. The remaining 15 hours can be completed with self-directed activities such as those supplied by Altura Learning.
A CPD portfolio has been drafted to allow you to collect the appropriate information to meet the requirements for record keeping.
Further information on revalidation can be found here. The Nursing and Midwifery Council have provided examples of completed forms to assist you if required.
How many CPD hours is each program worth?
Essentially, each hour you spend completing one of our courses is equal to 1 hour of CPD. Every course you purchase from Altura Learning can earn you up to 8 CPD hours depending on the amount of assessment you choose to complete.
How can I prove I’ve completed CPD activities?
You will receive a certificate which is autogenerated when you complete this course. If you choose to complete the extension exercise, you can keep the completed exercise as evidence and also record the activity in your CPD Portfolio.
How can I maximise the CPD I complete?
You will get the most out of your CPD experience when you:
- Identify the knowledge and skills needed for professional competence
- Are present and fully engaged at CPD activities
- Develop an individual training plan based on learning needs identified
- Apply what has been learnt to your professional practice
- Participate fully in discussions
- Talk to your peers and maximise networking opportunities
How can I apply my learning?
To ensure learning is applied to your professional practice, consider the following questions after every CPD activity:
- What did I learn?
- What will I stop doing?
- What will I continue doing?
- What will I start doing or start doing differently?
- How will I know when these changes have occurred?
- Have I identified further training needs?
In order to continually improve your practice as a enrolled or registered nurse, incorporate regular occasions for reflection and evaluation into your CPD plan. This will give you opportunities to consolidate learning, cement new behaviours, review practices and identify further training needs.