As from the 1st of August 2018, an enhanced continuing professional development (CPD) scheme will start for dental care professionals (DCPs).
What does this mean? It means that there will be changes to the verifiable CPD criteria, and it is extremely important that as dental nurses we familiarise ourselves with these changes to meet the General Dental Council (GDC) requirements and standards.
What do these changes involve?
The GDC wants DCPs to get the most from the CPD activities they complete and to make these activities more relevant and meaningful.
To do this, they have developed the ‘plan, do, reflect and record’ model, which encourages nurses to identify their own learning needs and choose CPD activities to fulfil these. It will be a GDC requirement for DCPs to align CPD activities with development outcomes that are linked to GDC standards.
From August, nurses will need to have a personal development plan (PDP). This plan will help to identify relevant CPD needs. Nurses will be required to plan CPD activity according to their own individual field of practice.
Once these CPD activities have been identified and planned, the GDC want nurses to complete (do) these learning activities, spreading them evenly over the five-year cycle.
Don’t worry if you’re like me and are part-way through a CPD cycle – the GDC has created a transition tool.
On completion of learning activities, the GDC wants nurses to reflect. This will help to ensure that learning needs are being met and that the learning activities undertaken are relevant to the individual’s role.
After participating in learning activities, it is important to record your verifiable CPD. Remember: keeping a CPD record is an important part of keeping your registration.
Nurses need to complete 50 hours of verifiable CPD in the enhanced CPD cycle.
All verifiable CPD should be recorded, and paperwork (including the personal development plan and evidence such as certificates and the record log) should be kept readily available in case the GDC asks to see this after a five-year cycle.
Under the new scheme, non-verifiable CPD no longer needs to be declared. However, nurses are required to make an annual statement of the verifiable CPD hours they have completed (and are still required to make a statement if no hours have been completed).
If you’re like me and are a little bit scared of change, don’t panic! The changeover from the old CPD cycle to the new enhanced CPD scheme has been made simple by the GDC.
For useful tools and information, such as the enhanced CPD guidance booklet, the transition tool, activity log and the personal development plan, visit the GDC enhanced CPD website. The website has made the process of transition clear and easy to understand.
At Dental Nurse Network we are currenty updating all our CPD/website information and courses ready for 1st August 2018.
Written by Emma Edwards RDN
NEBDN National Certificate in Dental Nursing, NEBDN Dental Sedation Nursing, NEBDN Oral Health Education , NEBDN Dental Radiography, Kings Certificate in Implant Nursing, Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management, Level 3 Award in Education and Training.
