Continuing professional development (CPD)

We have highlighted the importance of continuing to learn and develop in your nursing career. As a Newly Registered Nurse (NRN), it is important to recognise the value of all that you have learnt through your life experiences, personal learning, pre-registration programme experiences and learning to achieve your nursing degree. Transition is a period of consolidating and applying much of this learning in order that you can then continue to develop yourself and your career.  

CPD is a requirement for continued registration with the NMC through the revalidation process. This reflects the fundamental importance to the nursing profession of ensuring that nurses deliver up-to-date evidence-based practice throughout their careers and nursing roles.

A set of principles for CPD were launched, in May 2022, as a guide to support a culture continuous improvement, workforce development and improved outcomes in health and social care. These principles are that CPD and Lifelong Learning should:

1. be each person’s responsibility and be made possible and supported by your employer
2. benefit the service users
3. improve the quality-of-service delivery
4. be balanced and relevant to each person’s area of practice or employment
5. be recorded and show the effect on each person’s area of practice.

There is a wide range of learning activities that can support you to develop professionally.

For example:

• You might read a journal article.
• Undertake an e-learning activity.
• Shadow a professional colleague.
• Engage in professional discussions about your practice.

Evidence suggests that learning from these activities can be done through reflection and exploring how they can inform and improve your practice.

You may also want to access more formal and structured CPD. There are a few things you should consider before applying:

• Will the course be useful to you in the long term?
• Are you sufficiently interested to commit yourself to further study?
• How will it fit with organisational priorities?
• Will you have the support of your manager and colleagues?
• Can you get study leave?
• How will you manage your time?
• Who is going to pay for it?

Reviewing these questions will enable you to seek further information before you make the decision to apply. Meeting with your manager or a colleague who can advise you further is a useful next step.

Funding may be challenging, but there are options:

• Check your employer policies about CPD funding.
• Find out if there are free activities that will enable you to achieve the same learning – for example, webinars, in-house courses, local RCN learning activities hosted on RCN Learn - our education and learning online space.
• Get advice from universities about post-graduate student loans.
• Scholarships and bursaries.

Visit RCN Learn - our one-stop-shop for your CPD and lifelong learning needs.

For information on RCN resources for professional development browse the Develop and Careers section of Starting Out.