24 Oct 2023
Alterations made so vets and VNs, who have to show how they have reflected on what they have learned from their CPD, can more easily track progress and see when they are compliant.
Paul Imrie
Job Title
Image © Oksana Kuzmina / Adobe Stock
Changes have been made to an online platform so vets and VNs can more easily track the CPD they have both recorded and learned from.
The 1CPD homepage for each vet and RVN will now display two progress bars – one tracking the number of completed CPD hours achieved and recorded and one to show how many of the total hours have been reflected on.
Not only do vets have to meet an annual 35 hours of CPD, with 15 hours mandatory for VNs, but they have to do so through the platform and stipulate what they have learned from each element to remain compliant.
In an announcement of the updates to 1CPD, the college said: “Once the number of required CPD hours has been recorded and reflected on, a message will appear to notify the user that they are CPD compliant.
“If the requirements have not been met and the required number of hours has not been recorded or reflected on, this will show as non-compliant.”
But it added the changes will not affect pre-existing recorded CPD activities and reflections, which would remain in the system.
Jenny Soreskog-Turp, RCVS lead for postgraduate education, said: “We hope that the changes to the 1CPD platform will allow people to track their CPD more easily. A key element in outcomes-focused CPD includes reflecting on what you have learned as this is known to have a positive impact on both personal professionalism and patient-health outcomes.
“It should be noted that any CPD you have already undertaken for this year but have not yet reflected on will still remain in the system. However, in order to be compliant for 2023, you must reflect on every CPD activity completed.
“If you have completed your hours but have not reflected, this will show as non-compliant. In order to make those hours count, you simply need to go back and add your reflections. This doesn’t have to be a long and onerous task – uploading audio notes, adding an attachment, or writing a few notes stating what you learned and how you will use this newly acquired knowledge moving forward will all suffice.”
More information is available from the RCVS website.
