Interview: how I keep learning as a nurse

For regulated professionals such as nurses and social workers, continuing professional development is a requirement – even in non-practicing roles. We spoke with our project manager for nursing Lucy Gillespie about how she keeps learning.

Skills for Care (SfC): Tell us more about yourself and your career

Lucy (L): I’ve been a registered nurse since 2002 and my current role is Project Manager Regulated Professional Workforce at Skills for Care. This role involves leading on the projects that we do at Skills for Care to support the nursing workforce.

SfC: How much continuing professional development (CPD) do you need to do to retain your registration as a nurse?

L: The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) expect nurses, nursing associates and midwives to evidence a minimum of 35 hours of continuing professional development (of which 20 must be participatory) in order to revalidate every three years. This might be online or face-to-face learning, or self-learning including programmes or courses. For revalidation purposes registrants must be able to demonstrate how the learning relates to professional scope of practice and the NMC Code.

SfC: How do you combine your everyday work and regular CPD?

L: The nature of my role means that CPD may come in many forms including reflection and learning from professional discussion or debate. In some cases, I might attend a course and pick out aspects of the programme to reflect on and align to the code. I’m always looking for opportunities to learn and develop and taking opportunities that support my professional development which is of personal benefit and valued by the organisation. I think about what I might take away from CPD and how that might impact my work and vice versa.

SfC: What’s something you’ve worked on recently that you were able to evidence as CPD?

L: Last year I attended the Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) summit in my professional capacity representing Skills for Care and more widely the nursing voice in adult social care. Here I was able to talk with nursing colleagues across health and care about the work we’re doing to value the nursing workforce in social care and raise the profile of social care nursing, particularly to health colleagues. It was also an opportunity to contribute to future strategic nursing priorities and ensure the sector was considered as part of this work.

SfC: Why is CPD important to you?

L: CPD offers me the opportunity to develop my knowledge and thinking. Pausing to reflect on learning and have reflective discussion is an important part of CPD and helps consolidate learning and future direction. We work in a sector that is driven to always seek better experience and outcomes of care. Professional CPD is a way to grow innovation and quality improvement within the provision for care in our settings, develop and retain our social care workforce, and create a ripple effect of learning across the sector.

Find more information and support to #KeepLearning with our spotlight.

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