What have you done this past year for your continued professional development (CPD)? This phrase, or ones like it, often makes each one of us cringe before we respond. Did we do something for our own development? Do we want to advance at our place of employment? How does my CPD affect what I do every day? I still take care of the same patients I have for years.
To complicate things even further, CPD is both a parent and an offspring of continuing medical education (CME). Since CPD is about our own professional development, it requires that we obtain additional knowledge or abilities that increase what we offer, either to those we care for or our employers. Some of this growth in knowledge and abilities is directly related to education that helps us improve patient care in our environment. Perhaps we obtained our bachelor of science in nursing (BSN), studied for a specialty certification like the Certified Flight Registered Nurse (CFRN), or were an active participant on a committee. In these instances, our CPD was a parent to any CME knowledge we obtained with those activities during the year.
Our medical education though, can also lead our professional development. Our CME provides us with education that allows opportunities in our careers to open. Reading journals on a regular basis and attending a lecture or hands-on courses helps to increase our medical knowledge and ability to care for patients and their families. Increasing our knowledge, especially outside of our normal practice environment or with things that help us become experts in our field, opens opportunities for professional growth. Therefore, CPD is also an offspring of our CME. It occurs as a result of the time and effort we put into continuing our own medical education.
To complicate things even further, CPD is both a parent and an offspring of continuing medical education (CME). Since CPD is about our own professional development, it requires that we obtain additional knowledge or abilities that increase what we offer, either to those we care for or our employers. Some of this growth in knowledge and abilities is directly related to education that helps us improve patient care in our environment. Perhaps we obtained our bachelor of science in nursing (BSN), studied for a specialty certification like the Certified Flight Registered Nurse (CFRN), or were an active participant on a committee. In these instances, our CPD was a parent to any CME knowledge we obtained with those activities during the year.
Our medical education though, can also lead our professional development. Our CME provides us with education that allows opportunities in our careers to open. Reading journals on a regular basis and attending a lecture or hands-on courses helps to increase our medical knowledge and ability to care for patients and their families. Increasing our knowledge, especially outside of our normal practice environment or with things that help us become experts in our field, opens opportunities for professional growth. Therefore, CPD is also an offspring of our CME. It occurs as a result of the time and effort we put into continuing our own medical education.
So how do we embrace our own CPD and CME each year, one of the easiest things each of us can do is to join at least one (1) professional society. Most of these professional societies, like the Emergency Nurses Association (ENA) and the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN), offer opportunities for us to focus on both CPD and CME. Our CPD is affected by our broader knowledge of things within our industry. New procedures, upcoming legislation, and position statements from key-stakeholders in the industry help us grow our development within our profession. Many journals also offer specific CMEs within that field that can help each of us grow clinically. In addition, when CME’s are offered, we can apply those to both our mandatory state licenses as well as to board certifications we might have.
Journal reading is only one way to embrace our own CPD and CME. Attending a course, whether a lecture or hands-on format, is another way to further your CPD and CME. Optimally, nursing, emergency medical services (EMS), and other allied health professionals will recognize the need to embrace our own CPD and CME accountability fully. From my desk to yours, I hope we, as health professionals, can embrace our CPD and CME in the coming years.
Journal reading is only one way to embrace our own CPD and CME. Attending a course, whether a lecture or hands-on format, is another way to further your CPD and CME. Optimally, nursing, emergency medical services (EMS), and other allied health professionals will recognize the need to embrace our own CPD and CME accountability fully. From my desk to yours, I hope we, as health professionals, can embrace our CPD and CME in the coming years.
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