Continued Professional Development and CPD Points
Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is the ongoing process of developing and updating the knowledge and skills necessary to ensure competent professional practice.
There is a mandatory requirement for members of the Irish Society of Chartered Physiotherapists (ISCP) to have a minimum of 100 hours training over a three year period.
-A balance between formal & informal should be sought, with no less than 30 points being accumulated in either category
-A maximum of 10 points should be allowed for uncertified personal learning over the 3 year cycle
1 hour of CPD activity = 1 CPD point
It is important to recognise that CPD is not confined to learning in the formal situation such as attendance at courses, it also involves informal learning through experience built on day to day practice. Reflection on the learning experience is central to CPD.
Informal learning activities:[edit | edit source]
When day to day events provide spontaneous on the job learning experiences.
This includes:
• Reflection on practice
• In service education programmes
• Critical reading of journals, research papers
• Participation in journal clubs / discussion groups
• Participation in multidisciplinary meetings
• Attending professional body meetings
• Supervision and education of others on the job
• Involvement in clinical interest groups
• Quality assurance
• PR activites
• Computer aided learning
• Learning through the media (press, television, and video)
• Independent study
• Report writing
Formal professional development:[edit | edit source]
Details of courses, formal communications, research projects and details for your CV.
This includes:
• Attendance at courses, conferences and seminars
• Higher education courses
• Giving formal presentations/lectures
• Job performance reviews
• Research projects articles published
If you are a member of the ISCP, you have access to a range of free CPD online courses. There are currently over 30 CPD courses in categories including Adherence and Motivation techniques, Arthritis, Bone Health, Cancer Care, COPD, Falls Prevention, Paediatric Disability, Women's Health and Year of Pregnancy. You can study these at your own pace and at your own time and you will receive formal CPD certification. These are available on www.iscp.ie/cpd-elearning.html
You also have access to a portfolio which serves as a personal diary that gives an opportunity for documenting informal learning, setting personal goals and a means of reflecting on both formal and informal (CPD) opportunities. Secondly it functions as the concrete record of formal education and course attendance.This is available on www.iscp.ie/getting-started.html
Just remember...the sky's the limit!
