Whether you are an existing nurse looking to progress or are interested in becoming a nurse, it is important to continuously upskill your professional abilities to help ensure the best opportunities for your nursing career.
The nursing sector is a dynamic, highly skilled part of the healthcare and medical industry in the UK. To keep up to date with best practices, industry developments and regulatory requirements, participating in CPD nursing courses and further learning is a valuable option for individuals looking to progress their nursing career. There are a whole range of different training opportunities available, from attending educational industry events, through to classroom training or eLearning and CPD online nursing courses.
Build your career in nursing
Nurses carry out vital work across the healthcare sector - supporting doctors and caring for patients both in hospitals and in GP surgeries. Nurses are pivotal in ensuring patients receive the best possible care.
According to the NHS (1), nursing is also one of the most employable types of degree and career. The NHS emphasise that studying for a career in nursing is not just about reading books, but also pursuing practical work experience opportunities and training. Nursing can follow a range of different career paths - from adult nursing, children’s nursing, mental health, or special educational needs - and can provide a career that has transferable skills across many professional fields all over the world.
What is Continuing Professional Development (CPD) for Nurses?
CPD stands for Continuing Professional Development and is the term used to describe the learning professionals engage in to develop and enhance their abilities throughout their career. CPD combines different methodologies to learning, which includes training courses, seminars, workshops, conferences and events, webinars, and online eLearning programs.
CPD in the Nursing sector
There are over 30 professional bodies and associations in the UK Healthcare & Medical industry, and all have some level of implemented CPD policy. CPD is also recognised across healthcare sectors internationally.
Professional bodies in the UK Healthcare & Medical sector include the British Medical Association, General Medical Council, General Dental Council, British Dental Association, Royal College of Nursing, Institute of Nursing, Nursing & Midwifery Council, British Psychological Society, Health and Care Professions Council, Royal College of Physicians, National Pharmaceutical Association, and the General Optical Council.
The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) requires all registered nurses to seek revalidation every 3 years. A part of the revalidation process is to have completed a minimum of 35 hours CPD over the 3-year period. The NMC states that 20 hours of the completed CPD must be participatory (such as attending seminars, workshops) and requires nurses to record all learning outcomes in a portfolio which should be kept up to date. Compiling a portfolio would involve using a recording tool such as the free myCPD Portal record tool. This can make it easier to manage any ongoing CPD requirements effectively, set annual CPD targets, store CPD certificates of attendance, and track learning progress in one simple place.
As a trade union, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) helps nurses plan their CPD needs, and negotiate learning time with their employers, through their RCN learning representatives. The learning representatives help nurses keep up to date with the latest developments across various fields of nursing practice and to plan their career development. The RCN considers 45 hours of CPD suitable in any given year.
Please check the appropriate website for the up-to-date information on the latest CPD requirements relevant to your role.
