Paramedic Continuing Professional Development
Paramedics must demonstrate Continuing Professional Development (CPD) as they are accountable for their practice.
If paramedics are employed by the NHS, then they should have an annual personal development review. As part of this process, they will need to demonstrate how they meet the Key Skills Framework (KSF) dimensions relating to their role. By undertaking relevant CPD activities, paramedics will be able to do this.
In addition, paramedics will be expected to develop a personal development plan (PDP) laying out the objectives and learning needs for the next 12 months. This has to be agreed with the line manager.
Paramedics registered with the HPC have agreed that they will meet the HPC Standards for CPD. As part of this process, the HPC will audit around 2.5% of all registrants and ask them to fill in a CPD profile. This includes a summary of CPD activities from the last two years and requires paramedics to demonstrate that they meet the 5 standards for CPD.
1. maintain a continuous, up-to-date and accurate record of their CPD activities;
2. demonstrate that their CPD activities are a mixture of learning activities relevant to current or future practice;
3. seek to ensure that their CPD has contributed to the quality of their practice and service delivery;
4. seek to ensure that their CPD benefits the service user; and
5. present a written profile containing evidence of their CPD upon request.
Continuing Professional Development Links
- Standby CPD
- CPD Portfolio Builder
- HPC Standards for CPD
- Reflective Practice - Using Gibbs Reflective Cycle
- Paramedic Learning Zone
CPD activity examples
This list gives the kinds of activities that might make up continuing professional development:
Work based learning:
- Learning by doing
- Case studies
- Reflective practice
- Clinical audit
- Coaching from others
- Discussions with colleagues
- Peer review
- Gaining, and learning from, experience
- Involvement in wider work of employer (for example, being a representative on a committee)
- Work shadowing
- Secondments
- Job rotation
- Journal club
- In-service training
- Supervising staff or students
- Visiting other departments and reporting back
- Expanding your role
- Analysing significant events
- Filling in self-assessment questionnaires
- Project work or project management
- Evidence of learning activities undertaken as part of your progression on the Knowledge and Skills Framework
Professional activity
- Involvement in a professional body
- Membership of a specialist interest group
- Lecturing or teaching
- Mentoring
- Being an examiner
- Being a tutor
- Branch meetings
- Organising journal clubs or other specialist groups
- Maintaining or developing specialist skills (for example, musical skills)
- Being an expert witness
- Membership of other professional bodies or groups
- Giving presentations at conferences
- Organising accredited courses
- Supervising research
- Being a national assessor
- Being promoted
Formal / educational
- Courses
- Further education
- Research
- Attending conferences
- Writing articles or papers
- Going to seminars
- Distance learning
- Courses accredited by professional body
- Planning or running a course
Self-directed learning
- Reading journals/articles
- Reviewing books or articles
- Updating knowledge through the internet or TV
- Keeping a file of your progress
Other
- Public service
- Voluntary work
- Courses
