MRTs pursue effective continuing professional development to maintain, improve and broaden their knowledge, expertise and competence, and develop qualities required throughout their practice
Importance of continuing professional development
- MRTs function in complex healthcare settings that demand continual updating of professional knowledge, skills, and judgement to provide optimal patient care.1
- Continuing professional development (CPD) is an ongoing process by which MRTs maintain, improve or broaden their knowledge, expertise and competence, and develop the personal and professional qualities required for their practice.2
- Within a personal learning plan a foundational sequence of questions is asked involving what will be learned, how will it be learned, and how well was it learned. These questions activate corresponding CPD actions of reflection, planning, learning, and assessment.1,3
- Contemporary CPD frameworks recognize that an individual cannot always know all information. A change in organizational learning culture towards CPD inclusion, which promotes the collective knowledge of their professionals, is important.4
- CPD is a lifelong duty to achieve professional excellence and an ethical standard for MRTs to uphold.5,6
- Over the past decade, a worldwide trend has developed towards mandatory CPD as compared to voluntary CPD.3,6–9
- The benefits of CPD are expected to impact the practitioner, their patients, the healthcare team and broader society.10 For example, the benefits:
- support knowledge acquisition to respond to changes in practice environments and advances in technology and techniques;
- close the gap between care provided and society’s increased expectations;
- increase cultural awareness of patient needs;
- improve understanding of public healthcare system concerns and emerging issues; and
- help be better prepared within complex healthcare working environments that are constantly challenged to develop and master multidisciplinary teamwork.1
- Contemporary literature demonstrates CPD benefits by focusing on the mechanisms that effectively transform knowledge into value. This includes achieving deep learning and using other cognitive techniques (see Improving CPD Effectiveness section below).4,6,11
- Careful review of older CPD research is required by MRTs.
- Older research examining the effectiveness of CPD activities was limited to determining whether it increased a participant’s knowledge. Limitations of this research included:
- It frequently did not evaluate the degree to which participants were actively engaged in the knowledge acquisition process; and
- The quality of the CPD itself to target deep learning was not well described.7,11–13
- Due to these limitations, the older research indicated CPD had limited value when deep learning did not occur, did not contribute to lifelong learning patterns, or impact a professional’s practice or patient outcomes.11
- Older research examining the effectiveness of CPD activities was limited to determining whether it increased a participant’s knowledge. Limitations of this research included:
Effective CPD opportunities
- CPD activities may be formal or informal, and may be offered as mandatory or voluntary.
- Formal CPD activities are generally structured, derived from accredited programs or organizations, and the content is technical or contextual.
- Technical CPD includes professional knowledge and skills.
- Contextual content focuses on professional capabilities, problem-solving or is specialization focused.
- CPD activities include conference presentations, education courses or training seminars.
- Informal CPD can be categorized into four main categories, including:
- resource-based (e.g., reading professional magazines and journals);
- practice-based (e.g., observing and applying practice techniques);
- practice related (e.g., writing articles, presenting, mentoring, promotion of the profession through career fairs, research); and
- interpersonal (e.g., networking events, committee involvement, communities of practice, etc.).14
- Formal CPD activities are generally structured, derived from accredited programs or organizations, and the content is technical or contextual.
- There is no single CPD modality or delivery technique that provides the best learning experience for all.15,16
- The use of multimodal activities within CPD, within or between topics, has been extensively documented as beneficial and is considered good practice.6,7
- CPD activities should incorporate an outcome-based or competency-based approach since the intended goal of CPD is to create change at the individual and/or system-level.17,18
- Where this is not possible (e.g., informal CPD), MRTs can practice techniques that will support the application of knowledge in the future (see section Improving CPD effectiveness)
- CPD opportunities from accredited programs and associations over non-accredited programs should be sought, where available.1
- Educators should have formal training in adult learning theory and/or expertise in the topic being taught.
- There should be minimal potential for conflicts of interest between the CPD sponsor and the education provider.1
Improving CPD effectiveness
- Participating in CPD requires more than passive reading or listening. Active learning is a process of engagement with experience via critical reflection, learning from practice, and evaluation.4,19
- CPD research relies on adult learning theories to identify the mechanisms from which an individual can employ techniques to support an optimal learning experience. Keeping abreast or periodically inquiring about this literature from CPD experts may be useful in planning CPD activities.
- Although not an exhaustive list, research has shown the following techniques can improve the effectiveness of CPD:
- Reflective practice (critical reflection) is an important facilitator of knowledge uptake in practice. While tacit knowledge influences how other forms of knowledge are integrated and applied in practice, ongoing reflective practice is an important cognitive process associated with the integration of research evidence.20,21
- Seeking activities such as experiential learning, shared conversation, and collective negotiation can help support evidence-informed change in the workplace.7
- Seeking engaged scholarship opportunities (a collaborative form of inquiry in which all parties contribute to creating new knowledge from the perspectives and skill sets of an interdisciplinary group).7,22
- Metacognition is the process of thinking about how you think. To address the challenges of practice in complex healthcare environments, practitioners can use the metacognitive processes of reflection to promote change.23
Recording activities
- Recording evidence of CPD demonstrates an MRT’s learning achievements and evidence regarding their professional competence or goals.3 It is more than a résumé or curriculum vitae. Recording evidence of CPD demonstrates:
- individual reflective thinking and writing processes;
- employment, education and professional and personal development;
- performance-based analysis of previous and current practice;
- competence-based analysis of previous and current knowledge, skills and experience;
- application of knowledge to practice;
- learning based on knowledge acquisition and skill development; and
- future goals and career direction based on consultation and analysis (application to practice and learnings).24
- MRTs are expected to be familiar and maintain compliance with continuing competency, professional development, and or quality assurance.
- Maintaining portfolios of completed CPD activities is a mandatory component of quality assurance programs in regulated provinces.
- Non-compliance with the requirements of the quality assurance program of a provincial regulator, such as failing to maintain a portfolio of CPD activities, could be grounds for disciplinary action for professional misconduct.
- Provinces without regulatory colleges do not have mandatory requirements for CPD. However, MRTs may choose to maintain a CPD portfolio in accordance with regulated provinces to support lifelong learning and enhance their professional practice with best practice.
- Maintaining portfolios of completed CPD activities is a mandatory component of quality assurance programs in regulated provinces.
- A CPD portfolio is a key resource for review, reflection, and planning for future development needs and activities.25
- A portfolio should contain CPD activity history dating back to at least five years. However, maintaining the portfolio content across one’s career may support long-term goals, especially if an MRT seeks to specialize in their field.
- CPD activities and achievement recordings may include, but are not limited to:
- certificates, diplomas, degrees, and documentation identifying completion of programs/activities;
- summary descriptions of content;
- duration of activities;
- dates, times, and locations of completed activities;
- goals of activities (based on learning plan);
- self-assessments/reflective practice; and
- learning plans.
References
- Filipe HP, Silva ED, Stulting AA, Golnik KC. Continuing professional development: Best practices. Middle East Afr J Ophthalmol. 2014;21(2):134. doi:10.4103/0974-9233.129760
- Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia. Registration standard: Continuing professional development.; 2016:1-4. Accessed June 22, 2020. https://www.nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au/Registration-Standards/Continuing-professional-development.aspx
- Filipe HP, Mack HG, Golnik KC. Continuing professional development: Progress beyond continuing medical education. Ann Eye Sci. 2017;2(7):46. doi:10.21037/aes.2017.04.01
- Manley K, Martin A, Jackson C, Wright T. A realist synthesis of effective continuing professional development (CPD): A case study of healthcare practitioners’ CPD. Nurse Educ Today. 2018;69:134-141. doi:10.1016/j.nedt.2018.07.010
- Canadian Association of Medical Radiation Technologists. Member code of ethics and professional conduct. CAMRT. Published Nov 2015. Accessed June 23, 2020. https://www.camrt.ca/mrt-profession/professional-resources/code-of-ethics/
- Wareing A, Buissink C, Harper D, et al. Continuing professional development (CPD) in radiography: A collaborative European meta-ethnography literature review. Radiography. 2017;23:S58-S63. doi:10.1016/j.radi.2017.05.016
- Salter K, Kothari A. Knowledge ‘translation’ as social learning: Negotiating the uptake of research-based knowledge in practice. BMC Med Educ. 2016;16(1):76. doi:10.1186/s12909-016-0585-5
- Horn J, DeMers ST, Lightfoot S, Webb C. Using continuing professional development to improve maintenance of professional competence: A call for change in licensure renewal requirements. Prof Psychol Res Pract. 2019;50(2):120-128. doi:10.1037/pro0000233
- Karas M, Sheen NJL, North RV, Ryan B, Bullock A. Continuing professional development requirements for UK health professionals: A scoping review. BMJ Open. 2020;10(3):e032781. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2019-032781
- Belfield C, Morris Z, Bullock A, Frame J. The benefits and costs of continuing professional development (CPD) for general dental practice: A discussion. Eur J Dent Educ Off J Assoc Dent Educ Eur. 2001;5(2):47-52. doi:10.1034/j.1600-0579.2001.005002047.x
- Henderson A, Prescott C. Re-envisaging continuing professional development to improve patient outcomes. Nurse Educ Today. 2020;89:104402. doi:10.1016/j.nedt.2020.104402
- Roessger KM. But does it work? Reflective activities, learning outcomes and instrumental learning in continuing professional development. J Educ Work. 2015;28(1):83-105. doi:10.1080/13639080.2013.805186
- Price S, Reichert C. The importance of continuing professional development to career satisfaction and patient care: Meeting the needs of novice to mid- to late-career nurses throughout their career span. Adm Sci. 2017;7(2):17. doi:10.3390/admsci7020017
- Ghoneim Sywelem MM, Witte JE. Figure 2: Continuing professional development – Formal and informal activities. ResearchGate. Published Dec 2013. Accessed June 25, 2020. https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Continuing-Professional-Development-Formal-and-Informal-Activities_fig2_273123485
- Rankin J, Armstrong A. Continuing professional development: Integral to the role for everyday practice in healthcare. In: Digital Library. July 2017. doi:10.5176/2315-4330_WNC17.123
- Compton M, Almpanis T. One size doesn’t fit all: Rethinking approaches to continuing professional development in technology enhanced learning. Compass J Learn Teach. 2018;11(1). doi:10.21100/compass.v11i1.708
- Lockyer J, Bursey F, Richardson D, et al. Competency-based medical education and continuing professional development: A conceptualization for change. Med Teach. 2017;39(6):617-622. doi:10.1080/0142159X.2017.1315064
- Parson R, Danilovich N, Lochnan H, et al. Twelve tips for bringing competencies into continuing professional development: Curriculum mapping. MedEdPublish. 2019;8(2). doi:https://doi.org/10.15694/mep.2019.000145.1
- Ramani S, McMahon GT, Armstrong EG. Continuing professional development to foster behaviour change: From principles to practice in health professions education. Med Teach. 2019;41(9):1045-1052. doi:10.1080/0142159X.2019.1615608
- Fragkos KC. Reflective practice in healthcare education: An umbrella review. Educ Sci. 2016;6. Accessed Aug 13, 2020. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1116801
- Nguyen QD, Fernandez N, Karsenti T, Charlin B. What is reflection? A conceptual analysis of major definitions and a proposal of a five-component model. Med Educ. 2014;48(12):1176-1189. doi:10.1111/medu.12583
- Beaulieu M, Breton M, Brousselle A. Conceptualizing 20 years of engaged scholarship: A scoping review. PLOS ONE. 2018;13(2):e0193201. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0193201
- Medina MS, Castleberry AN, Persky AM. Strategies for improving learner metacognition in health professional education. Am J Pharm Educ. 2017;81(4). doi:10.5688/ajpe81478
- Andre K, Heartfield M. Portfolios for Health Professionals. Elsevier Health Sciences; 2016.
- Canadian Association of Medical Radiation Technologists. Registration information. CAMRT. Accessed June 24, 2020. https://www.camrt.ca/professional-development/full-length-courses/registration-information/
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