Undocumented CPD to be discontinued
Vet nurses have previously had an allowance of five hours for undocumented private study, while vets have had 10 hours.
From the beginning of next year, veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses will no longer be able to include undocumented private study in their CPD records.
Currently veterinary nurses have an annual allowance of five hours for ad hoc, undocumented private study. Earlier this week, the RCVS veterinary nursing education committee decided to discontinue this allowance.
This is in keeping with the education committee's decision earlier this year to discontinue the equivalent allowance of 10 hours per annum for veterinary surgeons.
Under the RCVS Codes of Professional Conduct, vets are required to undertake a minimum of 105 hours of CPD over a three-year period, while nurses must carry out 45 hours in the same time frame.
The college's head of veterinary nursing, Julie Dugmore, explained: "As with the veterinary surgeons, this decision was made because it was felt that all CPD, including private study, should be properly documented on the CPD records of veterinary nurses.
"This change, however, is not intended to discourage private study which we recognise extends across a range of different types of learning, including reading, and can be very valuable for personal development, but merely that it should be properly documented."
The education department is currently reviewing the information for vets and nurses on what counts as CPD.
It is hoped the review will help clear up any uncertainties and provide more specific examples for each learning category.
Defra has published guidance for the vet sector ahead of a proposed UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary agreement.
