CPD Data Sheets Pack

Provided by: The General Hypnotherapy Register

From the Publication: Continuing Professional Development for Complementary & Alternative Medicine

Published by: Centre for Health Research & Evaluation, University of Greenwich, London

Notes on Completing ‘Record of all CPD activities’ sheet

  1. In column one allocate a number to the activity (it saves repetition later).
  1. In column two put the date that you undertook the activity.
  1. In Column three briefly describe what you did in sufficient detail so that it can easily by classified e.g. a practical activity, reading from books or journals. Attending courses or talking to colleagues etc.
  1. In column four specify how many hours and or/minutes the activities took.
  1. In column five give the activity a rating on a scale of one to five. At this point in time you don’t need to do more than give the activity a score based on how you felt about the activity. You do not need to worry about measuring whether it worked or not. Use the following ratings or create your own:

1 = the activity was ineffective and I learnt nothing that was relevant to my practice.

2 = the activity was partly effective and confirmed that there was no need for me to

modify my practice.

3 = the activity was quite effective and stimulated me to consider modifying my

practice after seeking more information.

4 = the activity was definitely effective and I will plan to modify my practice in a

minor way.

5 = the activity was very effective and I will plan to modify my practice in a major

way.

At the end of your chosen period look at your sheet and do the following:

  1. Count up how many of the activities were undertaken in your everyday practice.
  1. Count up how many of the activities were formal, e.g. a course or conference.
  1. Count up how many hours you have been engaged in CPD activity.
  1. Look at the score you have given the activities – are you getting value out of the activities? Which type of activities seem to be of more value?
  1. Look at the dates you have undertaken the activities – are there any patterns there? Do you tend to do more at weekends or on specific days of the week?

By answering these questions you will begin to see patterns in the way in which you undertake CPD and will probably be pleased to find out that you are already going some way towards meeting any requirements that your professional body may place on you to show evidence of CPD.

Record of all CPD activities

Activity No. / Date / Activity / Time Taken (h/m) / Value

Examining and Recording

You will by now be well on the way to seeing the potential for understanding CPD activities in a variety of situations and to thinking about ways in which you can get more from the time you spend. The next activity is intended t help you to look at some of your CPD activities in more detail in order to maximise what you and your clients/patients gain from the process.

From your ‘Record all CPD activities’ sheet select a number of activities for further exploration. You can choose them in any way you wish either by taking a time period e.g. one moth and looking at all the activities or you can choose ones that were memorable. It is important , however, to choose a sample that covers activities that you gave a high score as well as those that you gave a lower score to because it is usefulto begin to look in a bit more detail at what works best for you. Record each one of them on a separate ‘Individual Activity Record’ sheet (see below) or one of your own devising.

For each selected activity undertake the following:

  1. Think about why you undertook the activity. What triggered your decision to do it?
  1. Describe the activity in detail. What sort of activity was it? What was it intended to achieve for you or help you with?
  1. Think about what you gained from the activity. Did it help you in the way you intended? Did you learn something more or different from what you expected?
  1. Think about the activity and what you learned or did. Where you able to use it in your practice? In what ways were you able to apply the information or skills?
  1. Did the activity raise any problems for you? – e.g. financial considerations, loss of time or potential threats etc. – which could put you off doing it again.
  1. Did the activity raise any issues which you need to consider? Did it identify new areas that you need to learn about or gaps in present knowledge or skills? If not, say why you think this was.

In carrying out this activity you will be beginning to approach CPD in a systematic and structured manner and to gain insight into how to examine your CPD activities to ensure that you are making the best use of your time and recourses. You may decide to focus more of your time on particular activities and drop others or you may be able to organise a broad range of activities to suit your requirements.

Individual Activity Record

Selected Activity No. (as recorded on 'Record of all CPD activities')
1/ What was my reason for choosing to undertake this activity?
2/ Description of activity
3/ What did I gain from this activity?
4/ How could I use what I have learned in my practice?
5/ Did the activity create any problems for me?
6/ Did the activity raise any issues which I need to consider?