As we enter into the new year, I find it an invigorating opportunity to refect on how far we have come in the past year and to focus on renewing my own enthusiasm for embarking on new goals and objectives. Continuing education or continuing professional development (CPD) is one key area that we can all refect on and take some time to plan for in the upcoming year.
For those of us in medically related professions, scientific advancements are continually pushing the boundaries of what we know. Our years of practice bring us practical and applied experience but unless we are abreast of new developments in our field, we are at risk of letting old knowledge and outdated habits limit us from providing the best care that we possibly can. This is why it is a professional obligation for us to stay current so that we maintain our professional competence.
It would be next to impossible to keep up with each and every development in veterinary science; however, it is important to stay motivated to improve and to update knowledge and skills on a regular basis. Professional conferences and seminars are one key way to help to promote collegiality and spark new interests in our field. It never fails to surprise me how inspired I get when I am surrounded by dozens of my peers who are all interested in learning something new. Reuniting with old friends and putting faces to names is all part of the fun and when combined with enthusiastic speakers and new products it is an altogether exciting and worthwhile endeavour. Next month the WSAVA congress will be held in Birmingham, and I am sure many of you will be going. The Veterinary Nurse will be there, so please come and find us, it is always nice to meet our readers! As the largest veterinary event ever to be held in the UK, it promises to be informative, inspirational and fun.
Life gets in the way and sometimes I am guilty of not setting aside enough time to attend seminars or to travel for conferences, but fortunately there are a number of alternative modes of achieving CPD so that it is possible to stay current even when busy. Writing scientific articles is one of the best ways to learn and develop knowledge and it is possible to ft in some time for writing and literature searches even on busy weeks. Participating in online classes is another way of not only interacting with colleagues, but also giving structure to your CPD study sessions. Not only is this a great chance to have a flexible study routine, but it is also a good way to get exposure to expertise in other parts of the world.
If, after a long day at work, the last thing you want to do is to study, there are still some good CPD opportunities at your fingertips. The Veterinary Nurse has a CPD article each issue where you can spend less than a couple of hours reading the journal and answering the CPD questions. You can then print out a certificate for your CPD folder. This is a great way to achieve small steps toward continuing education on a monthly basis and to ensure that you are making continued progress toward maintaining professional currency.
We are at our very best when we are studying. Study affords us a chance to critically analyze our current practices and ascertain where we have gaps in our knowledge base. It also gives us a unique opportunity to build on what we know and to consider new approaches for applying care-giving strategies. Continuing education ensures that we are competent to practice and this is particularly important when we have the lives of our patients in our hands. This month, our CPD article is on page 42–47 and I am excited to brush up on my knowledge and to see what new things I can learn about preventing perioperative hypothermia in the dog and cat. We hope you enjoy this issue.