Continuing professional development (CPD) is a key aspect in the world of health and social care as it allows you to deliver safe and effective care. It is important to know what your professional development looks like and have a plan set in place to implement it each year.

Who should be carrying out CPD?

In short, anyone should be carrying out CPD. It is especially essential to those who must complete revalidation as it is a supporting portfolio to show you’re staying up to date with the everchanging world of healthcare.

What does CPD look like?

Continuing professional development is an activity that promotes learning and developing your skill set.

The GMC have set out the aims of CPD as follows:

  1. Your CPD activities should maintain and improve:                                                                                                                                           A – the quality of care you give to your patients and the public                                                                                                                   B – the standards of the teams and services in which you work.
  2. Your CPD should keep you up to date and competent in all the work that you do. It should affirm what you do well, address areas requiring improvement and explore new knowledge, skills and behaviours.

Moreover, the NMC outlines their stance on CPD as ‘it’s important to remember that we (the NMC) don’t prescribe any particular type of CPD, we leave it up to you to decide what activity is most useful for your development as a professional.’

CPD activities can be categorized into four different types.
Work based learning:
  • Reflective practice
  • Coaching from others
  • Learning by doing
  • Work shadowing
  • Job rotation
  • Secondments
Professional activities:
  • Lecturing/teaching
  • Mentoring
  • Involvement on a professional body
  • Presenting at conferences
Formal education:
  • Courses
  • Research
  • Attending conferences
  • Seminars
Self-directed:
  • Reading journals and articles
  • Reviewing books and research papers
  • Updating your knowledge through documentaries and the internet

Did you know, at Athona we give you the opportunity to earn a CPD allowance of £100? Simply work through Athona for 13 weeks* and you’ll be entitled to a CPD allowance, Find out more about the scheme here.