Continuing Professional Development (CPD)

As of January 1, 2000, Continuing Professional Development credits, or CPDs, are required to maintain your license with the RPNAS. A minimum 10 (ten) credits must be accumulated every calendar year.

It is each member’s responsibility to determine individual needs/goals and to seek appropriate CPD activities.  You can do this by identifying your future professional goals, professional awareness of current issues and trends, areas of curiosity, activities you enjoy or ones you tend to avoid.

A great way to earn CPD credits is to attend our Annual General Meeting.  Enjoy a fantastic learning experience, enjoy the company of other RPNs and savor great food.  You can earn 4 CPD credits for a one day event, and 8 CPD credits for a two day event. 

Here are a few guidelines for gauging whether or not an activity qualifies as a CPD credit.

1. Any mandatory work requirements are  not eligible.  These mandatory requirements may include quality assurance meetings, health/safety meetings and team meetings.
2. Sessions that are annual mandatory work requirements are not eligible for CPD credits.  Annual work requirements include programs like CPR, PART, WHIMIS and Fire Safety Training. Programs like the ones listed above are eligible if it is your first time taking the course.  Re-certifications and duplicate courses are not eligible.
3. Credit eligibility for some activities may be vague. In this instance, consider the following questions:
   • Is it job related?
   • Is it mandatory?
   • Does it enhance my professional competence, improve my knowledge or skills? (if so, how?)

 CPD Activity Categories

Informal Study

Workshops, conferences, seminars, in-services, lectures, presentations, self-directed study (films, videos, books, internet research, learning kits, etc.)
1 credit per hour

Contributions to Knowledge

Professional Portfolio – Preceptorship, submissions to research articles, journal articles, manual development.
10 credits per activity

 Formal Study

Courses at/from universities and colleges including distance education courses.
10 credits per class

Professional & Community Involvement

Mentoring, service on professional and public bodies relating to psychiatric nursing
1 credit per hour

Presentations to others

Conferences, seminars, poster presentations, special projects, research paper, commercial or educational exhibits, etc.
1 credit per hour

Tips:

1. Always spell out an abbreviation;  We may not know what the ANAD Conference is, or we may have difficulty finding more information on that conference when verifying your hours.  Please spell out the abbreviation for us to avoid having your form returned to you.
2. Keep copies of documentation proving your participation in eligible events and conferences.  In the event you are audited, you will be required to provide proof of all of your stated CPD credits.
3. Monitor and record your CPD progress throughout the year.  During registration months, you may have a lot on your mind.  The last thing you want to do is try to remember all of the professional development you did throughout the year.  Keep track of it all year so you can easily transfer it to your registration form when it arrives.
4. Ask if you aren’t sure.  If you are on the uncertain whether a certain activity qualifies for professional development, ask us.  A quick e-mail from our contact page will give you a definite answer.

Additional Resources

Education Brief

The Education Brief is a paper that outlines the challenges RPNs face, as well as changes that could be made to the educational system for RPNs in Saskatchewan.

Continuing Nursing Education, College of Nursing, U of S
Continuing Education and Development for Nurses (CEDN) identifies, develops, coordinates, delivers, and evaluates education for nurses and other health care providers that work in Saskatchewan and beyond.

SIAST CPD Opportunities
SIAST provides various continuing education distance learning courses related to psychiatric nursing.