IRNRN102A CARMINA M. TIANGCOCONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENTThere are various governing bodies that regulate professionals to ensure that they are within the standard practice in Australia. The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) have established guidelines to oversee nurses and midwives for the protection of the public. Consequently, professionals like nurses have to improve holistically to meet the incessant changing need of the latter.
As directed by NMBA, nurses and midwives have to engage in learning opportunities pertinent to their context of practice that will develop their skills, expand their knowledge, and enhance their professional qualities continuously throughout their career. In line with this, NMBA included Continuing Professional Development (CPD) as a part of the core registration standards that must be fulfilled by the applicants, registrants or students to be registered as a nurse or midwife as well as for all the registered nurse or midwife who has to undergo renewal of registration. To satisfy the registration standard on CPD annually, a nurse and/or a midwife should participate in CPD activities that will accumulate through the course of the entire calendar year. However, there are several occurrences that would affect the requirement for CPD.
For instance, a pro rata CPD will apply when a nurse or midwife registers half-way through the registration period. A registered nurse whose registration has been held for 3 months will be needing at least 5 hours of CPD activities. Another circumstance would be if a nurse or midwife is currently out of practice but opts to retain his or her registration, one must continue to complete the CPD hours. On the other hand, if a nurse or midwife decides to keep his or her registration for personal reasons one can request for a non-practicing registration which does not entail completion of CPD hours. Finally, if a nurse or midwife wanted to be exempted from CPD requirements, one will be evaluated by the state and territory of AHPRA and NMBA in accordance with NMBA’s policy.
The NMBA necessitates a nurse or midwife under this condition, to submit a request in writing and to provide sufficient evidence for the exemption. The process of acquiring CPD hours commence after registration. It is a requisite for a nurse and/or midwife to complete a minimum of 20 CPD hours through different approaches such as learning activities in the workplace, conferences, seminars, short courses, self-directed learning or any form of learning activity that is relevant to their practice. The minimum requirement for CPD hours will only be altered when a nurse or midwife registers in the middle of the registration period, a pro rata CPD will take effect. If the registration has been held for 0 to 3 months, it will require at least 5 CPD hours. For registration held for 6 months and 9 months, at least 10 hours and 15 hours of CPD hours will be needed respectively. At the event a nurse or midwife did not meet the CPD quota at the time of renewal, it is an obligation to declare this for possible consideration of the NMBA. Once CPD activities are obtained, proper documentation is made using a self-directed CPD evidence record supplied by the NMBA to collate CPD activities or any preferred tool that will document all the information regarding the CPD activity, inclusive of identified learning needs, its appropriateness and benefit to their practice as well as the hours spent on each activity.
It is paramount that the CPD activity is related to a nurse or midwife’s context of practice by which it is consistently aligned to the individual’s scope of nursing or midwifery practice. CPD is determined to be efficacious if it resulted to a constructive self-appraisal, positive learning outcomes, and improved health practice based on the best-practice standards (Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia, 2016).Furthermore, it is also important that all the evidence is validated and kept for at least 5 years from the date of completion since the NMBA conducts an audit or an investigation should the need arise. The audit occurs at the beginning of June and extends to the succeeding year, until the end of May. If selected for audit, AHPRA will send a notification via mail in which the audit checklist is attached. It enumerates the necessary documents to present as an evidence of compliance to the core registration standards.
The detailed discussion regarding policies in Continuing Professional Development can be found at NMBA’s website. TYPES OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR EDUCATIONThere are innumerable methods to attain the minimum requirement for CPD completion. A nurse or midwife has the liberty to choose the most convenient way to partake in a learning activity. It can be conventional such as workshops, seminars, in-service, courses, and subscription to a particular organisation. Conversely, it can be self-directed learning like reading journals and on-line education.
A seminar is the most typical type, it involves one or more speakers providing hour-long lectures at an audience. A workshop is quite similar with seminar, to distinguish it from the other, usually the lectures take longer. It is also more interactive because it caters small groups of people that gives chance to exercise group discussions. A course is a programme of studies for undergraduate and/or postgraduate students that requires completion of a university degree. A common example of this are the Bachelor’s degree and Postgraduate course such as Postgraduate diploma, Masters, or Doctorate. An in-service is a type of training given by an agency or institution to improve and upgrade the employee’s professional skills in a particular area.
Examples are renewal of basic life support and advanced cardiac life support license within the hospital, infection control updates given through lectures, occupational health and safety training, emergency response training, and new equipment training. An online education, commonly referred as e-learning or web-based education, utilises the internet to provide online courses. It is the most accessible platform for learning because it offers variety of courses tailor-made for ones needs. Examples are online courses for working students and mandatory online courses required by the hospital or institution. Evidence record Self-directed continuing professional development for nurses and midwivesName: Carmina TiangcoDate Source or provider details Identified learning needs Action plan Type of activity Description of topic (s) covered during activity and outcome Reflection on activity and specification to practice No./Title/ Description of evidence provided CPD hours27/08/2018 Australia Primary Health Care Nurse Association (APNA) Orient self in identifying the appropriate timing of care for the patient. Increase skill in managing difficult telephone triage safely and effectively. Plan: Distinguish the correct timing of care for the patient by applying critical thinking in decision making.
Practice telephone triage. On-line course: An introduction to telephone triage.Introduction of telephone triage and its impact throughout the health and medical network in Australia. Identified types of potential callers. Developed communication skills in performing telephone triage.
It is advantageous to my practice since it heightens my ability to think critically, thus, improving my decision making skills. This activity permitted me to attain my learning need.This CPD evidence record. 1 hour16/11/2018 ANMF RN competency standardImprove clinical assessment in identifying the type of wound and wound infection.
Broaden knowledge regarding wound management including skin tears and pressure ulcers. Plan: Properly identify the type of wound and wound infection. Enhance wound management by learning current techniques. Identify the mechanism of action in particular products for each type of wound. Workshop: Wound ManagementRecognised the criteria I need to consider when assessing a wound and/or an infective wound. Improved techniques in managing a wound including skin tears, pressure ulcers.
Determined appropriate product to use in various types of wound to maximise its efficacy to promote wound healing. This activity has allowed me to attain my learning needs accordingly. As a registered nurse at the ED, it is significant to have an accurate assessment to properly manage the patient. It enabled me to further my knowledge in wound assessment and management. This CPD evidence record. 6 hours14/12/2018 ANMF Maintain competency in responding to codes.
Receive current updates in basic life support and emergency response based on the current Australian Resuscitation Guidelines. Plan: Sustain competency in responding to emergency codes. Acknowledge updates in basic life support and emergency response based on the current Australian Resuscitation Guidelines. Workshop: Basic Life Support Maintained competency in responding to codes. Enhanced skills in basic life support and emergency response by recognising recent updates applicable to practice. This activity enabled me to retain my knowledge and skills in basic life support. As an ED nurse, preserving this annual competency in this area is beneficial to effectively respond to emergency codes in accordance with the Australian Resuscitation Guidelines. This CPD evidence record.
3 hours01/04/2019 to 02/04/2019 AUSmed Education Improve skill in primary assessment for trauma patients and orientation to various atypical scenarios such as care for pregnant and paediatric patients with trauma. Identify current evidence of nursing management of patients with physical trauma. Plan: Strengthen primary assessment skills of different trauma patients to improve short-term and long term outcomes.Deepen knowledge regarding evidence-based trauma and nursing care practice considering the capacity of the institution to treat such. Develop assertiveness in prioritising nursing actions in various trauma cases. Seminar: Trauma Nursing Seminar Reinforced self with high level of decision making skills influenced by evidence-based knowledge in providing initial assessment for trauma patients. Expanded knowledge regarding principles of trauma management.
This activity equipped me with substantial information about trauma management that I can practice in our institution and earned the confidence to prioritise nursing actions when attending to non-complex or complex trauma situations. This CPD evidence record. 11 hours 45 minutesREFERENCE LIST1. Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia. (2016). Fact sheet: Continuing professional development. online Available at: https://www.nursingmidwiferyboard.
gov.au/Registration-Standards/Continuing-professional-development.aspx Accessed 25 Aug. 2018.2. Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia. (2016).
Guidelines: Continuing professional development. online Available at: https://www.nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.
au/Registration-Standards/Continuing-professional-development.aspx Accessed 25 Aug. 2018.3. Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia. (2016). Policy: Exemptions from continuing professional development. online Available at: https://www.
nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au/Registration-Standards/Continuing-professional-development.
aspx Accessed 25 Aug. 2018.4. Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia. (2016). Registration standard: Continuing professional development.
online Available at: https://www.nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au/Registration-Standards/Continuing-professional-development.aspx Accessed 25 Aug.
2018.
