Dear Reader

“Well, you learn something new every day”, isn’t that how the saying goes? As I reflect on what I have learned this past week, I realise that the list is long and diverse. I’ve learned that watching match of the day is an excellent cure for insomnia; I’ve learnt how to use the new ventilators at work, how to improve my finances and how to make really good pulled pork.

All these things were part of daily life – I didn’t wake up and resolve to add some new information to my brain that day. As we move through life, both personally and professionally, we absorb, assimilate and sort information that is thrown at us. Some information is good, evidence-based, and thorough. Some is sensational, biased and basically untrue.

In her article describing her first six months in practice, Phillipa Richmond tells us that “learning doesn’t stop on qualification”, reminding us to keep an open mind to new information and new ways of doing things as we learn from each other. When it comes to continuing professional development, we must evaluate and evidence our learning to ensure that it qualifies. Firstly, “qualifying” means it is useful knowledge to improve our patients care, and secondly, so that we can prove that we have taken measures to keep up to date with our profession.

This month the BVNA are proud to present a new service for our journal readers. Each month, a selected article will be accompanied with a set of multiple choice questions for you to answer. Reading one of our excellent articles provides undocumented CPD hours, five of which can be recorded on your CPD log every year.

However, if you read one of the articles, thinking carefully as you read, you can then evidence your learning. You could use the MCQs, noting your answers and the key learning points you can take away with you. If MCQs don’t float your boat, reflection on the article can also be documented evidence of CPD. Reflection needn’t be complicated: read the article and then take a piece of paper, or a laptop and write down your thoughts. Was it useful, what were the key points you learnt, will you do anything differently now that you have read it?

Using the VNJ in this way provides you with documented CPD hours you can do at home, in bed, or while sat on the floor keeping the puppies company. If you work intelligently like this, your BVNA journal can provide all the CPD you need to fulfil your requirements. CPD doesn’t need to be expensive and it doesn’t need to be complicated. It needs to be relevant to your role and it needs to be thoughtful. Enjoy it – the bonus may be that you find you know much more than you thought you did! Happy learning.

Author

Helen Ballantyne PG Dip BSc (Hons) RN RVN 

Editor-in-chief

DOI: 10.1080/17415349.2015.1016759

• VOL 30 • March 2015 • Veterinary Nursing Journal