CPD

In common with other health professionals, paramedics and associated occupations (EMTs and EMRs) need to undertake continuing professional development (CPD) activities to maintain and update their knowledge, skills and attitudes if they are to provide the best possible care to their patients and contribute to healthy communities. This aspiration can be hampered when they are unaware of how to address this need through their own independent learning activities or through structured learning opportunities that are offered through a wide range of organizations and agencies.

This policy describes the CPD endorsement policies of the GPHEC and outlines the rationale for CPD standards and benchmarks for paramedics who are practicing in speciality areas, with an initial emphasis on community paramedicine and critical care transport. The aims of these standards and the associated guidelines is to ensure that paramedics provide competent and up-to-date services, help paramedics to maintain their competence and to provide safe and effective health services.

The GPHEC is well positioned to help paramedics make well informed CPD choices based on clear criteria, including consideration of: the qualifications, credentials and experience of the provider; the range of topics and activities; and the balance between practice-based reflective activities, professional education and training activities and professional experience and development activities.

Learning can take place through a wide variety of CPD activities, including, but are not limited to:

• higher education/accredited courses
• conferences, forums and seminars
• undertaking research and presentation of work
• online learning and internet research
• written reflections on experience in day-to-day clinical practice
• reading books and journals relevant to practice
• quality assurance activities, such as accreditation, clinical audit or review of records
• participation in committees relevant to practice
• work-based learning contracts and employment related professional development
• participating in peer and performance review activities
• interactive professional or inter-professional interactions
• activities that address current or emerging health priority areas

The five CPD principles and lifelong learning adopted by GPHEC argue that they should:

Principle 1: be each person’s responsibility and be made possible and supported by your employer;

Principle 2: benefit service users;

Principle 3: improve the quality of service delivery;

Principle 4: be balanced and relevant to each person’s area of practice or employment; and

Principle 5: be recorded and show the effect on each person’s area of practice.

The GPHEC is well positioned to offer CPD and lifelong learning guidance and advice to paramedics through the endorsement of CPD programs that are appropriate for paramedicine specialities such as community paramedicine and critical care transport.

Endorsed activities can be face-to-face, online or in a blended learning format as long as educational/training providers can demonstrate how the activity aligns with one or more domains of the respective curriculum framework. In the case of community paramedicine, this could be The Paramedic Foundation sponsored Community Paramedicine Curriculum Version 4 (or later). Educational providers would then require education providers to provide the endorsing body (GPHEC) with:

• A list of participants within a defined timeframe following conclusion of the event or course.
• An event/course program.
• State the learning outcomes of the educational activity.
• Ensure the participants’ needs are taken into consideration.
• Ensure it is an evidence-based activity.
• Maintain clinical and ethical standards throughout the activity.
• Include adequate time for interaction and discussion if the activity is face-to-face.
• Collect participant feedback on the activity.
• Issue participants with a certificate of completion or attendance which states their name, date and duration of the activity.

In the interest of equity and our commitment to instituting a global approach to paramedic continuing education, our CPD endorsement fees may be adjusted according to a country’s wealth classification as defined by the World Bank.

The application fee is non-refundale.

Once the endorsement is granted, educational providers receive authorization to use the CPD Endorsed Activity logo (GPHEC) and to promote the activity as an endorsed CPD activity.