Building Veterinarians beyond Veterinary School: Challenges and Opportunities for Continuing Professional Development in Veterinary Medicine

2021 ◽  
pp. e20190148
Author(s):  
M. Carolyn Gates ◽  
Iain McLachlan ◽  
Seton Butler ◽  
Jenny F. Weston

Continuing professional development (CPD) is an important mechanism for veterinarians to acquire, maintain, and enhance their capability to perform competently in their chosen practice area over their career. Although most licensing bodies require veterinarians to complete a minimum number of CPD hours each registration cycle, there are known issues with verifying that these activities are having the desired effects of ensuring professional competence and improving outcomes for patients, owners, and veterinarians. In this review, we summarize the literature across different health care professions to highlight three key challenges for veterinary CPD programs. These are (a) defining what it means to be professionally competent across different career stages from graduation to retirement, (b) delivering CPD activities that are effective in promoting evidence-based medicine and behavioral change in practice, and (c) developing reliable and sustainable systems to formally assess the continued professional competence of veterinarians. A common theme across all challenges was the importance of interacting with colleagues as an opportunity to receive external feedback on their professional strengths and weaknesses and to develop stronger support networks for managing common stressors in clinical practice. There was also a recognized need to develop more transparent outlines of the available and acceptable options for managing different animal health concerns as a first step toward identifying new opportunities for the veterinary profession to elevate the level of care provided. Based on these findings, we propose a new framework for defining, delivering, and evaluating CPD that promotes stronger collaboration between veterinarians to improve professional and personal well-being.

2017 ◽  
Vol 181 (10) ◽  
pp. 266-266 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tierney Kinnison ◽  
Stephen May

Generic professional capabilities (non-technical competencies) are increasingly valued for their links to patient outcomes and clinician well-being. This study explores the emotional change, and practice-related outcomes, of participants of a veterinary professional key skills (PKS) continuing professional development (CPD) module. Reflective summaries produced by participants were analysed. A change in emotion, from ‘negative’ to ‘positive’, was the focus of analysis. Sections regarding these emotions were thematically analysed. Analysis was performed on 46 summaries. Three themes were identified: ‘the PKS module’ (centred on reluctance becoming surprise and stimulation), ‘developing non-technical competencies’ (unease to confidence) and ‘stress and coping through a reflective focus’ (anxiety to harmony). The changing emotions were connected to positive cognitive reappraisal and often behaviour changes, benefitting self, practice, clients and patients. The PKS module teaches participants to reflect; a new and challenging concept. The consequences of this enabled participants to understand the importance of professional topics, to be appreciative as well as critical, and to enjoy their job. Importantly, the module stimulated coping responses. Better understanding of roles led to participants having more reasonable expectations of themselves, more appreciation of their work and reduced stress. This research supports more attention to professional skills CPD for health professions.


Pharmacy ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 157
Author(s):  
James A. Owen ◽  
Jann B. Skelton ◽  
Lucinda L. Maine

Over the last four decades, the expanded patient care roles of pharmacists in the United States (U.S.) have increased focus on ensuring the implementation of processes to enhance continuing professional development within the profession. The transition from a model of continuing pharmacy education (CPE) to a model of continuing professional development (CPD) is still evolving. As pharmacists assume more complex roles in patient care delivery, particularly in community-based settings, the need to demonstrate and maintain professional competence becomes more critical. In addition, long-held processes for post-graduate education and licensure must also continue to adapt to meet these changing needs. Members of the pharmacy profession in the U.S. must adopt the concept of CPD and implement processes to support the thoughtful completion of professional development plans. Comprehensive, state-of-the-art technology solutions are available to assist pharmacists with understanding, implementing and applying CPD to their professional lives.


2006 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 203-217
Author(s):  
Matthew T. Theriot ◽  
Toni K. Johnson ◽  
Mary Mulvaney ◽  
Jane A. Kretzschmar

Despite their immense popularity and widespread implementation, research has yet to compare block and concurrent models of field. In filling this gap in the literature, this study evaluates the impact of each model on undergraduate social work students' professional development and emotional well-being. Sixty-eight students in BSW field placements at one large university participated in this study. Students were able to select which model of field to undertake, and, in general, most students selected block field placements because they wanted to graduate early. Conversely, students in concurrent field reported having more obligations outside of field, including family and other employment. Utilizing data collected from students and their field instructors, statistical analyses showed no differences in measures of professional competence, depression, assertiveness, or self-esteem between students in the two field models. In light of such findings, the authors discuss the implications of this study for social work programs and outline suggestions for future research.


2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 58
Author(s):  
Antonia Arnaert ◽  
Hamza Ahmad ◽  
Norma Ponzoni ◽  
Catherine Oliver ◽  
Adriana Grugel-Park

Introduction and objective: A clinical nurse educators’ (CNE) work is primarily focused on ensuring that fellow registered nurses have the skills and training to improve their clinical practice and maintain their professional competence. In recent years, resource limitations and a growing emphasis on self-directed learning have increased the pressure on nurse-educators to integrate e-learning into their teaching methods. While research has evaluated the experiences of nurses on this topic, limited understanding is known of CNEs’ experiences. Purpose: This qualitative study explored the CNEs’ experiences in facilitating continuing professional development for their nurses and the integration of e-learning in a University Health Center in Quebec, Canada.Methods: The sample consisted of 7 CNEs, who had more than one to 15 years of experience in their current position. Their experiences with e-learning varied: it ranged from incorporating a video-clip in their presentations, to providing input into the learning management system they tested. Semi-structured interviews were thematically analyzed. Results: Despite participants varied levels of knowledge towards e-learning, all were convinced that this method could be used complementarily alongside hands-on training. Though they recognized the importance of human contact in teaching, they also understood the limitations of the traditional pedagogy; lacking the addition of interactive features. Despite some criticism, CNEs were able to identify opportunities where e-learning could be useful: during nursing orientation, tracking, evaluation and accreditation purposes, content refreshment, and to standardize protocols.Discussion and conclusions: More research is needed, and cooperative efforts are required from nurses and nurse-management to engage in the promotion of professional development.


2012 ◽  
Vol 48 (1) ◽  
pp. 81-90
Author(s):  
Diana Liepa ◽  
Aija Dudkina ◽  
Maruta Sile

Our dynamic life brings changes not only into our daily life, but in thinking and the way to work and to learn as well. We have to be faster and more flexible in order to develop our professional, social and civic competencies. Education helps to develop the attitudes, skills and knowledge necessary to make informed decisions for the benefit of themselves and others, now and in the future, and to act upon these decisions. That is why teachers have to find the best ways in acquiring professional competencies and in developing their individual qualities. The teacher’s role in the educational process has always been vital. Especial significance is being attached to the teacher’s personality and professional growth, the teacher’s satisfaction with the life in general and their abilities’ conformity to the demands of the profession. The teacher’s satisfaction serves as a motivation factor in order to advance the educator’s professional competence (high mastery). The teacher’s as a professional’s advancement is closely connected with his personality development. The human’s personality in general influences positively the professional adaptation, promotes professional creativity, safeguards from professional obsoleteness. The teacher’s personality maintains the professional expertise, promotes professional competences’ advancement. There are relationships between aspects of teacher’s well-being and student’s learning, job performance or other aspects of teaching effectiveness. The teacher’s well-being influences the effectiveness of student’s learning. Key words: compensation, dissatisfaction, professional development, satisfaction with work.


BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. e049204
Author(s):  
Holly Rose Hanlon ◽  
Lucia Prihodova ◽  
Thelma Russell ◽  
Deirdre Donegan ◽  
Ann O'Shaughnessy ◽  
...  

ObjectivesTo examine experiences of participation in a mandatory system of continuing professional development (CPD) among doctors in Ireland, in order to identify areas for improvement.DesignA qualitative cross-sectional design was used.Participants1408 participants (701 male, 707 female) were recruited via email from a population of 4350 doctors enrolled on a Royal College of Physicians of Ireland Professional Competence Scheme (PCS) for the 2017/2018 year, and completed an online survey as part of a larger study examining experiences and attitudes towards participation in PCS. A subset of the sample (434 participants) responded to an optional open-ended question about PCS participation. Responses to the open-ended question were analysed using thematic analysis.ResultsThematic analysis resulted in five main themes relating to perceived barriers to PCS participation across a wide range of areas: ‘Evidence of participation’, ‘The structure of PCS’, ‘Questioning the benefits of formal CPD’, ‘Workplace challenges’ and ‘Access issues’.ConclusionsTaken together, the five themes outlined in this study give a wide-ranging, in-depth picture of the challenges faced by Irish doctors, which expand on well-documented factors such as time constraints, to illustrate a series of complex, interacting factors. Some barriers, such as difficulty obtaining evidence of participation, may be relatively easily addressed. Others, such as issues with the way the PCS is structured, are more intractable, and require further research to understand more fully and develop appropriate solutions.


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