Continuing professional development (CPD) is an important part of a vet nurse’s career, but it can be hard to know where to start when it comes to finding the right CPD activities to complete your required annual hours. Here, we have put together a guide to the best CPD resources for vet nurses.
What is CPD?
CPD stands for continuing professional development, which, in the veterinary industry, is the process of continually improving and broadening one’s skill set, knowledge, and personal qualities through regular and relevant activities that ensure continued competency and improved performance in the profession.
What are the yearly CPD requirements for vet nurses?
The RCVS states that every year, veterinary nurses on the RCVS register are expected to complete 15 hours of regular and relevant continuing professional development.
Examples of CPD activities for vet nurses
There are quite a few different ways you can fill your required CPD hours. Some activities are free but others, such as conferences, are usually paid. Examples of relevant CPD activities include:
- On-the-job learning
- Projects
- Research
- Conferences
- Mentoring
- Volunteering
- Technical learning
- Management training
British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA)
The British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) offer a range of online and in-person veterinary CPD. You can book particular courses or go to conferences, which generally means a nurse can complete all their yearly CPD hours in one go.
The BSAVA Congress 2023, for example, offers over 120 hours of CPD content, delivered in Manchester across three days from the 23rd to the 25th of March 2023. Prices vary depending on whether you want to attend the full conference or just a single day, and whether you are a student or a member of the BSAVA. Members can get an exhibition-only pass for free.
The online CPD course for the BSAVA is for those who wish to complete CPD throughout the year and prefer fitting CPD into their day. They offer 9-hour courses for around £130 for BSAVA members. You can also join webinars which cover two clinical topics a month.
The London Vet Show
The London Vet Show is also another popular source of CPD where nurses have the chance to engage and learn from leading experts in the industry. The London Vet Show offers 17 hours of CPD-accredited certification, including CPD which is tailored specifically to nurses. The full conference pass costs £499 but BVA and BEVA members do receive a discount on their tickets.
In-house CPD
In terms of free CPD for vet nurses, many larger vet groups offer in-house CPD in the form of online courses on company portals. These will usually be free to use for staff and count towards their required CPD hours. This is a great way to work towards your annual CPD at minimal cost, so it is a good idea to ask your employer what CPD opportunities they can provide.
Employer allowance for CPD
Generally, vet nurses are offered a certain amount of days off for CPD as a yearly allowance as part of their benefits package. If you have these benefits, then this is the best way to acquire free CPD hours. In some cases, this can be flexible depending on the relevance of the course to the particular role.
Completing your CPD hours helps veterinary nurses keep up to date with the latest industry advancements while also improving their personal and professional development.
Finding the best and most relevant CPD for you will require a little research, but a mix of different activities should give you a well-rounded experience!
If you are currently considering or looking for a new position, you can also browse our veterinary nurse vacancies.