Completing a minimum of 20 hours of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) relevant to your context of practice is an annual requirement for nurses and midwives in Australia to meet the NMBA Registration Standard: Continuing Professional Development. If you hold dual registration as both a nurse and a midwife, you must complete 20 hours of CPD for each profession (40 hours total).
The NMBA transitioned from a points-based system to a mandatory hours-based system for CPD on 1 June 2016. However, many nurses and midwives still incorrectly refer to points when calculating CPD.
Every CPD cycle runs from 1 June to 31 May each year. All required hours must be completed within this period before you can renew your annual professional registration.
(Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia Facts sheet: Continuing professional development, 2024)
https://www.nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au/Codes-Guidelines-Statements/FAQ/CPD-FAQ-for-nurses-and-midwives.aspx
Why Don’t We Use Points Anymore?
The move away from CPD points reflects a desire for a clearer and more consistent approach to professional development. Different organisations historically allocated points in different ways, which could create confusion and make it difficult to compare learning activities. Measuring CPD in hours provides a straightforward and transparent method for nurses and midwives to demonstrate their commitment to lifelong learning and professional competence.
What Counts as CPD?
CPD can include a broad range of learning activities that help maintain or improve professional knowledge and skills. Some examples include:
- Attending conferences, seminars or workshops
- Completing online education modules or webinars
- Participating in in-service education sessions
- Undertaking postgraduate study or formal qualifications
- Reading professional journals and reflecting on learning
- Participating in professional supervision, mentoring or quality improvement activities where learning outcomes can be demonstrated.
The key consideration is whether the activity is relevant to your professional practice and contributes to your ongoing competence.
How Do I Count My Hours?
The NMBA adopts a simple approach: one hour of active learning equals one hour of CPD.
For example:
A 60 minute webinar = 1 CPD hour
A half-day workshop lasting 4 hours = 4 CPD hours
If an education provider allocates CPD points rather than hours, nurses should determine the equivalent learning time rather than relying solely on the points awarded.
Keeping a CPD Record
Nurses and midwives are required to maintain evidence of their CPD activities and may be audited by Ahpra. A good CPD record should include the date of the activity, a description of the learning undertaken, the number of hours completed, the learning objectives or outcomes, a reflection on how the activity relates to practice and supporting evidence, such as certificates of attendance, transcripts, notes or attendance records.
Many nurses find it useful to maintain a simple spreadsheet, diary or electronic portfolio throughout the year rather than attempting to reconstruct their learning activities at renewal time. CPD records, reflections and supporting evidence should be retained for five years, as Ahpra may request evidence of CPD completed during previous registration periods as part of an audit.
NSWNMA members also have access to iLearn, which includes a wide range of CPD activities together with an integrated CPD tracker and portfolio system. This allows members to create a CPD plan, record completed learning, upload supporting evidence and maintain a comprehensive CPD record in one convenient location throughout the registration year.
Take-home Message
While many nurses still use the term “CPD points” in everyday conversation, the important thing to remember is that the NMBA Registration Standard is based on hours of learning. By keeping a record of relevant professional development activities throughout the year, nurses and midwives can confidently demonstrate compliance with their registration requirements while supporting their ongoing professional growth and development.
For more information, see the NMBA Fact sheet: Continuing professional development and NSWNMA Continuing Professional Development Guide