Continuing development is the process of maintaining, improving, and broadening the knowledge, skills, and competence of health care providers, such as nurses, paramedics, pharmacists, and health care assistants. Continuing development is essential for ensuring the quality and safety of patient care, as well as the personal and professional growth of health care providers. However, continuing development also requires the support and facilitation of health care employers, who play a key role in creating a culture of learning and excellence in their workplaces. Here are some ways that health care employers can promote continuing development for their staff:
- Provide funding and resources. Health care employers can allocate a budget and resources for continuing development activities, such as courses, workshops, seminars, conferences, webinars, journals, books, and online platforms. These resources can help health care providers access and attend various learning opportunities that are relevant to their practice and career. Health care employers can also reimburse or subsidize the costs of these activities for their staff or offer incentives or rewards for completing them.
- Provide time and flexibility. Health care employers can allow their staff to have dedicated time and flexibility for continuing development activities, such as paid study leave, flexible working hours, or reduced workload. These arrangements can help health care providers balance their work and learning commitments and reduce the stress and pressure of managing both. Health care employers can also support their staff to plan and schedule their continuing development activities in advance and monitor their progress and outcomes.
- Provide access and convenience. Health care employers can facilitate the access and convenience of continuing development activities for their staff, such as by hosting or organizing these activities onsite or online, or by partnering with external providers or organizations that offer these activities. These options can help health care providers overcome geographical or logistical barriers that may prevent them from attending these activities. Health care employers can also ensure that these activities are available and accessible to all staff members, regardless of their roles, levels, or locations.
- Provide feedback and support. Health care employers can provide feedback and support for their staff’s continuing development activities, such as by conducting regular appraisals, reviews, or evaluations of their learning needs, goals, plans, and outcomes. These processes can help health care providers identify their strengths and weaknesses, reflect on their learning experiences, and improve their practice and performance. Health care employers can also provide mentoring, coaching, or supervision for their staff, or encourage peer learning and collaboration among them.
- Provide recognition and appreciation. Health care employers can provide recognition and appreciation for their staff’s continuing development activities, such as by acknowledging or celebrating their achievements, accomplishments, or contributions to patient care or organizational goals. These gestures can help health care providers feel valued and motivated to pursue further learning opportunities, as well as enhance their confidence and competence in their practice. Health care employers can also provide career advancement or development opportunities for their staff based on their continuing development activities.
One of the providers of continuing development short courses for health care providers in the UK is Practitioner Development UK (PDUK). PDUK offers accredited CPD courses in nursing, midwifery and healthcare. Their face-to-face and online courses help take your career to the next level. Here are some of the benefits of choosing PDUK for your CPD needs:
- Variety of courses. PDUK offers a wide range of courses that cover different topics and specialties, such as acute and minor illnesses in children, dermatological conditions in the older adult, ear and eye conditions for the primary care practitioner4, and many more. You can choose the courses that suit your interests, needs, and goals.
- Flexible delivery. PDUK’s courses can be delivered either onsite or online via Zoom. You can choose the mode of delivery that is most convenient and comfortable for you. Whether you opt for a scheduled session onsite or one of their Zoom courses5, you can expect the same quality and standards from PDUK.
- Affordable prices. PDUK’s courses are competitively priced and offer great value for money. You can also benefit from their discounts and offers, such as early bird discounts, group discounts, loyalty discounts, and referral rewards. You can also apply for funding from your employer or other sources to support your CPD.
- Expert tutors. PDUK’s courses are taught by experienced and qualified tutors who are experts in their fields. They are passionate about sharing their knowledge and skills with you and helping you achieve your learning outcomes. They also provide you with feedback and support throughout your learning journey.
Health care employers who want to promote continuing development for their staff can partner with PDUK to provide them with access and opportunities to attend their courses. By doing so, they can help their staff enhance their professional development and career prospects, as well as improve the quality and safety of patient care. Health care employers can visit PDUK’s website or contact them for more information or to book a course. You and your staff might also find our article, ‘The Benefits and Challenges of Continuing Development Short Courses for Health Care Professionals,’ to be quite helpful.
