COVID-19, CPD HCPC and You
Released on - 16/06/2020
Registration renewal for ODPs is due this September and with that comes the prospect that you may be audited for your CPD.
Many ODPs have been asking if the HCPC will still go ahead with the audit given the current COVID-19 Pandemic and its impact on registrants’ workload.
The official line from HCPC is:
‘At this time, we are unable to confirm if the CPD audit for Operating Department Practitioners will go ahead as planned or be cancelled. However, as the audit isn’t until September, we will continue to closely monitor the COVID-19 situation. The website will be updated with any changes that may affect the ODP audit.’
In other words, for now, assume that it will take place. As someone who has previously been audited by HCPC I advise you that you take some simple steps now that will potentially benefit you if you are selected for audit;
1. Keep an A5 notebook and pen in a strategic place at home. If you are an avid tablet device user that’s fine, but I’m trying to keep it simple here!
The current situation for ODPs has given many of you a range of opportunities to learn and experience new things. These will have greatly contributed to your personal development.
At the end of a day, not every day, go to your notebook and reflect on certain events. Think of the When, the What and the How:
- When did this happen? (Date everything).
- What was it I did?
- How did this further develop my practice?
- How did this enhance my ability to care for patients?
2. Think about your professional journey as the pandemic unfolded.
At the beginning of the pandemic, you were unsure of what COVID-19 even was, so you investigated:
- What did you research to be better informed? What did this tell you? Try and reference the source.
- How has the seriousness of this condition impacted the way you will physically and mentally prepare yourself for caring for such patients?
- You helped set up ICU ‘booths’ in your theatre. What did this entail? What was in those booths? How did this help you understand the treatment COVID-19 patients will require?
3. You undertook training;
- What did you learn about positioning for COVID-19 patients? How did this link to the experience you’d already gained whilst proning patients for surgical procedures?
- What did you learn about PPE and the different levels of PPE? What did you learn about correct donning and doffing and fitting? What was it like wearing this PPE? How did all this help you as you prepared to care for a COVID-19 patient the first time?
- You assisted with the intubation of a COVID-19 patient and/or you cared for ventilated patients in your booth or you were deployed to ICU. What was it like in ICU out of your normal ‘comfort zone’ of theatres? How did all the preparation support your practice? How did your past experience as an ODP supporting ventilated patients in theatre help you adapt to this situation?
These are just a few examples you could take from this time. There will, of course, also be examples from scrubbing for cases and caring for post-operative patients in PACU.
The Five HCPC CPD Standards.
Remember the 5 HCPC CPD Standards and that with HCPC it’s not about hours but the quality and the relevance of the evidenced used.
Registrants must:
1. Maintain a continuous, up-to-date and accurate record of their CPD activities.
2. Demonstrate that their CPD activities are a mixture of learning activities relevant to current or future practice.
3. Seek to ensure that their CPD has contributed to the quality of their practice and service delivery.
4. Seek to ensure that their CPD benefits the service user.
5. Upon request, present a written profile (which must be their own work and supported by evidence) explaining how they have met the Standards for CPD.
So, in actual fact you only need to be concerned for now with 3 of the standards, numbers 2,3 and 4. Numbers 1 and 5 are about the process of recording and presenting which you’ll need to look at if you are audited.
For more information, go to:
https://www.hcpc-uk.org/cpd/your-cpd/cpd-activities/
https://www.hcpc-uk.org/registration/registration-renewals/
John Dade
AfPP Trustee