NRSG367 – Assessment 2A Position Statement to be Critiqued According to Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA), it is stated that “Under the National Law, which governs the operations of the National Boards and AHPRA, all registered health practitioners must undertake Continuous Professional Development (CPD)” (Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency, 2017). For healthcare professionals wanting to deliver quality care and meet the public's changing health care needs, nurses must be up to date with professional knowledge, to ensure that the best care can be given to the patient (Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency, 2017).CPD is a progress offered to healthcare professionals, intending to advance and broaden their knowledge, skill and competence to grow as a professional (Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency, 2017). The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) further outlines a set of nursing values and standards, that supports the requirements of CPD for Registered Nurses (RN) (Registered nurse standards for practice, 2016). This essay will outline why it is important to accomplish the requirements of CPD and will also address the NMBA standards that support this position. Furthermore, it will consider an opposing view, whether if the full 20 hours is needed and if CPD components are necessary for RN’s to complete yearly. For RN’s, it is expected to complete 20 hours of continuous professional development, to be able to care for patients safely and to competently carry out tasks and procedures for patients care (Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency, 2017). These hours can be attainable at any time during within a twelve-month frame period before registration(Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency, 2017).2 CPD has different types of learning styles and approaches among incorporating a perspective of formal/ informal information sessions and learning activities (Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency, 2017). This can be offered in the involvement of mandatory learning activities in the workplace such as manual handling, infection control, Self-directed learning, conferences/ seminars and other training events and assessments to build up the recommended accreditation points (Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency, 2017). It is important to keep a record of what key components of CPD that has been completed, as not everyone will be audited, but it is essential that RN’s are able to supply certified documentation as evidence if asked (Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency, 2017). In today’s world of nursing, strategies, policies and techniques changes quickly to answer to the demands of today’s evolving health care system, it is vital to meet the requirements of changing health needs of the patients (Harkness & DeMarco, 2012). Therefore the RN must continue education to be more knowledgeable (Harkness & DeMarco, 2012). It is crucial for RN’s to take on the opportunity and extra measures of CPD as it influences and benefit the patient’s life and health conditions vastly (Hummerston, 2017). The NMBA standards regulate the practice of nurses, one of its fundamental roles is to protect the public, ensuring that nurses are qualified enough to suitably practice in a proficient and ethical manner (Registered nurse standards for practice, 2016). The NMBA RN Standards of Practice have several standards that relate to the importance and the continuation of learning new knowledge practices for RN’s (Registered nurse standards for practice, 2016). If nurses adhere to the full 20 hours of CPD opportunities, it will profoundly support standard 3.7 which “Identifies andpromotes the integral role of nursing practice and the profession in influencing better health outcomes for people”, although, this is not also limiting to Standards 2.7 (Ensuring safety, learning and sharing of knowledge for person-centred care), 3.3 (The continuation of CPD) and 6.1 (Providing a safe quality nursing care in order to meet agreed health outcomes) (Registered nurse standards for practice, 2016). It is essential for all nurses to comply with the NMBA standards provided as it secures the continuation of providing safe care within a health system (Registered nurse standards for practice, 2016). From the knowledge gathered from CPD courses, they are able to make an informed planning decision (Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency, 2017). CPD courses and programs allow RN’s to get the revision and updates of new recent changes to policies and procedures they need and as well as extending their scope of practice due to the advancing of knowledge they acquire from CPD courses (Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency, 2017). When nurses are overloaded with tasks, errands and limited with time, CPD requirements would be the last thing on their minds to complete (Berman, et al., 2012). This is one of the contributing factors, questioning if needing to complete 20 hours of CPD yearly is necessary and whether if the components are required (Carlson & Bengtsson, 2015). The full 20 hours ensures that the nurse remains up to date with knowledge and skills (Carlson & Bengtsson, 2015). Though 20 hours can be easily lost time, as the workload alone for nurses is already in high demand, needing to complete a full shift (Berman, et al., 2012). Therefore, placing the nurse to possibly undertake some of the 20 hours outside of work hours, consequently leaving nurses to feel more stressed and at constant with the workload to maintain a safe practice uphold registration (Berman, et al., 2012). With nurses being busy, they may be4 unable to sign up to CPD courses and complete their recommended hours; they may also be unable to organise with their nurse manager when a right time in advance could be to complete CPD (Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency, 2017). According to AHPRA regulations, it states that nurses can apply to the NMBA for an exception if the full minimum hours are not completed and is in exceptional circumstances (Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency, 2017). Although if not accepted as successful then this may lead to the consideration of holding the registration of future practices for the nurse (Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency, 2017). If a nurse is practicing in adherence to NMBA standard 2.7, the nurse upholds the ethical responsibility to ensure the safety of patients comes first (Registered nurse standards for practice, 2016). While at the same time standard 1.2, nurses can reflect back on previous experiences to identify what care the patient needs (Howatson-Jones, 2013). Within the workforce, older generations of nurses believe in the methods of critical thinking, as opposed to the requirement of CPD as they have experienced this previously and have been able to critically judge on the right procedures to take on task (Pool, Poell, & ten Cate, 2013). Although they are disadvantaged into understanding if recent findings have improved to approach work efficiently, therefore this example illustrates that CPD effectiveness (Carlson & Bengtsson, 2015). Regarding RN’s time and workload, another area of concern is if the components of CPD is relevant enough to be completed (Berman, et al., 2012). Nurses may find this to be questionable, though according to NMBA standards it offers the most reliable basic training that is essential attain new information from within the appropriate scope of practice of standard 6.2, as this can later assist incarrying out procedures more efficiently (Registered nurse standards for practice, 2016). As a nurse adhering to Standard 6.1 “Provides comprehensive safe, quality practice to achieve agreed goals and outcomes that responsive to the nursing needs of people” ensures that the component within CPD aims to have training tasks associated with goal oriented safety for patients (Registered nurse standards for practice, 2016). Therefore the nurse can lead to “uses assessment data and best available evident to develop a plan” of standard 5.1 of the NMBA appropriately for the patient (Registered nurse standards for practice, 2016). Without CPD, RN’s would not be able to carry out tasks safely and therefore place a risk the patients’ health (Berman, et al., 2012). For RN’s, it is important to partake from the NMBA RN standards as it allows the nurse to engage in the best evidence-based practice information (Registered nurse standards for practice, 2016). It is key for RN’s to incorporate this when completing CPD in order to reflect back on the practice and critically analyse if new research skills, did or did not improve efficiently of the task (Carlson & Bengtsson, 2015). The components are weighted out against the scope of practice as RN’s to be competent with(Registered nurse standards for practice, 2016). Continuing to incorporate CPD within health disciplines ensures the security and guarantee that staff are competent enough to carry out task safely within the workplace (Carlson & Bengtsson, 2015). It is important to establish that as a patient, you maybe feel to be in a uncontrolled and vulnerable situation within a hospital setting (Berman, et al., 2012). Being in this state puts the patient to place full trust on the nurse to ensure that the nurse is able to achieve the best outcomes for the patient (Berman, et al., 2012).6 According to NMBA standard 3.2 “Provides information and education required to enhance people's control over health” and standard 2.4 “Provide support and direct people to resources to optimise health-related decisions”(Registered nurse standards for practice, 2016). This standard demonstrates that the patient can benefit from the nurse who has completed the full 20 hours to be able to rely on information off and promote education and skills of health concerns to the patient and as a result will be able to build a successful therapeutic bond with the patient (Berman, et al., 2012). As the nurse plays the role as the patient's advocate, it is critical that the patient, places a responsibility to ensure that the nurse’s knowledge is up to date to provide the utmost care for the patient (Mohle, 2015). To build 20 hours is be achievable, within a space of 12 months of registration (Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency, 2017). With the different types of CPD programs, it makes it accessible for RN’s to accomplish (Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency, 2017). It is evident that CPD is a strong fundamental component in health care systems (Carlson & Bengtsson, 2015). Allowing RN’s to use the opportunity to maintain, update and enhance professional skills and knowledge, leading to improved health care practices and health outcomes for the community (Berman, et al., 2012). With this, it successfully allows nurses to comply with Standards 2.7, 3.3, 3.7, 5.1, 6.1 which ultimately lets the RN’S to provide a competent, safe, quality nursing care for the patients (Registered nurse standards for practice, 2016).The importance of the continuation of learning and reflective practice is critical for nurses, to develop knowledge and experience through a clinical setting (Berman, et al., 2012).References Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency. (2017). Continuing Professional Development. Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency. Retrieved from: https://www.ahpra.gov.au/Education/Continuing-ProfessionalDevelopment.aspx Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency. (2017). Fact sheet: Continuing professional development. Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency. Retrieved from: http://www.nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au/Codes-GuidelinesStatements/FAQ/CPD-FAQ-for-nurses-and-midwives.aspx Berman, A., Snyder, S., Kozier, B., Erb, G., Levett-Jones, T., Dwyer, T., et al. (2012). Kozier and Erb’s fundamentals of nursing. (2nd Australian ed.) French’s Forest, NSW: Pearson Australia. Carlson, E., & Bengtsson, M. (2015). Perceptions of preceptorship in clinical practice after completion of a continuous professional development course- a qualitative study Part II. BMC Nursing, 14, 41. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com.ezproxy2.acu.edu.au/ps/i.do?p=AONE&sw=w&u=ac uni&v=2.1&it=r&id=GALE%7CA423755598&asid=9bcd89746aaaf0d2c58b 972779402d19 Harkness, G., & DeMarco, R. (2012). Community and public health nursing : Evidence for practice. Philadelphia, Pa.: Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.8 Howatson-Jones, L. (2013). Reflective practice in nursing (Second ed.,Transforming nursing practice). London : Thousand Oaks, Calif.: SAGE/Learning Matters. Hummerston, G. (2017). The importance of CPD in nursing. Retrieved 24 May 2017, from http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy2.acu.edu.au/10.12968/bjca.2014.9.3.109 Mohle, B. (2015). Advocates for patient safety. The Queensland Nurse, 34(3), 3. Retrieved from https://search-proquestcom.ezproxy2.acu.edu.au/docview/1691878014?accountid=8194 Pool, I., Poell, R., & ten Cate, O. (2013). Nurses’ and managers’ perceptions of continuing professional development for older and younger nurses: A focus group study. International Journal Of Nursing Studies, 50(1), 34-43. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2012.08.009 Registered nurse standards for practice. (2016) (1st ed.). Melbourne. Retrieved from http://www.nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au/Codes-GuidelinesStatements/Professional-standards.aspx