RCVS COVID-19: Reduction of 25% in hours for Vet/RVN CPD in 2020

RE: RCVS COVID-19: Reduction of 25% in hours for Vet/RVN CPD in 2020

Beats — Thu, 02 Apr 2020 14:55:56 GMT

Some questions for reflection:

Can mandated reflection reflect the true reflections of the reflective practitioner?

If the RCVS state that the content of your mandatory reflections cannot be used against you in a disciplinary fashion, is reflection really mandatory?

If I pen Boo-boo-butt as my reflective entry for each piece of CPD logged, is that as valid in the eyes of RCVS as someone who tackles the requirement in a more obliging manner? If not, then, without using the contents of my reflections against me, how would the RCVS demonstrate to that I have not fulfilled my requirement to reflect?

[quote userid="6897" url="~/001/nonclinical/f/life-in-practice-discussions/28997/rcvs-covid-19-reduction-of-25-in-hours-for-vet-rvn-cpd-in-2020/221340"]Yes - I believe the whole CPD recording thing is a bit of a nonsense really. Unless you have to pass some sort of exam after each item of CPD you undertake it is all based on trust. Reading/listening to a webinar/attending a meeting/congress or whatever in no way proves you have actually learnt anything useful. [/quote]

Or indeed that there was anything useful on show for you to learn...

And hence the enlightened regulator's aim is to reduce time spent recording bureaucratic requirements at the expense of time spent doing more useful things (such as acutal learning). The RCVS, in spite of some admittedly uncharacteristic retrograde moves in the last year, overall still remains at the forefront of enlightenment on this I believe as veterinary regulators go.

RE: RCVS COVID-19: Reduction of 25% in hours for Vet/RVN CPD in 2020

bob lehner — Thu, 02 Apr 2020 14:35:01 GMT

[quote userid="12930" url="~/001/nonclinical/f/life-in-practice-discussions/28997/rcvs-covid-19-reduction-of-25-in-hours-for-vet-rvn-cpd-in-2020/221332"]I'm not sure how you plan to "prove" you have been learning something (the simplest way would be to test you on the content of your learning), let alone "prove" you attended/watched anything. Having a receipt for a webinar is no more proof of watching than a receipt of a book is proof of reading. Thankfully, the RCVS are enlightened here also and consider you a professional who can be relied upon to state facts truthfully[/quote]

Yes - I believe the whole CPD recording thing is a bit of a nonsense really. Unless you have to pass some sort of exam after each item of CPD you undertake it is all based on trust. Reading/listening to a webinar/attending a meeting/congress or whatever in no way proves you have actually learnt anything useful.

Even the 'reflecting' aspect is surely open to abuse - you could easily make up something plausible if you want to. We all have to sign that we are up to speed with our CPD when we pay our annual RCVS fees but it is a fact that there are members who do not maintain any sort of log of what they have done and just wing it.

RE: RCVS COVID-19: Reduction of 25% in hours for Vet/RVN CPD in 2020

Rob Davis — Thu, 02 Apr 2020 14:15:01 GMT

[quote userid="12930" url="~/001/nonclinical/f/life-in-practice-discussions/28997/rcvs-covid-19-reduction-of-25-in-hours-for-vet-rvn-cpd-in-2020/221329"]

You don't need to "go" anywhere to do "CPD".

You can learn a lot by reading.

[/quote]

This is key and seems to be misunderstood by many. As I am currently working towards my MANZCVS exams (which annoyingly have just been cancelled until next year...) I have been recording the rough time I spend reading every day. I have so far recorded over 90 hours of CPD this year through reading textbooks alone.

CPD does not have to cost money.

RE: RCVS COVID-19: Reduction of 25% in hours for Vet/RVN CPD in 2020

Anthony Dennison — Thu, 02 Apr 2020 14:03:01 GMT

[quote userid="12930" url="~/001/nonclinical/f/life-in-practice-discussions/28997/rcvs-covid-19-reduction-of-25-in-hours-for-vet-rvn-cpd-in-2020/221332"]

Your RCVS CPD requirement is, still, self-certified. This is enlightened of the RCVS and to be commended.

I am unsure re the "certificates" produced that you are talking about, do these adhere to the 10 principles of certification? If not, or you are unsure, then some free CPD on "Certificates" from the RCVS's viewpoint can be obtained here: https://www.rcvs.org.uk/setting-standards/advice-and-guidance/code-of-professional-conduct-for-veterinary-surgeons/supporting-guidance/certification/

[/quote]

Ok so certificate is probably the wrong word - 'paper with proof of attendance/watching'. The RCVS principles of certification aren't really applicable for proof of watching a webinar.

And that is why the RCVS have introduced the reflection section on the CPD requirements I imagine.

RE: RCVS COVID-19: Reduction of 25% in hours for Vet/RVN CPD in 2020

Beats — Thu, 02 Apr 2020 13:35:39 GMT

[quote userid="11308" url="~/001/nonclinical/f/life-in-practice-discussions/28997/rcvs-covid-19-reduction-of-25-in-hours-for-vet-rvn-cpd-in-2020/221330"]I suspect because certificates are produced[/quote]

Your RCVS CPD requirement is, still, self-certified. This is enlightened of the RCVS and to be commended.

I'm not sure how you plan to "prove" you have been learning something (the simplest way would be to test you on the content of your learning), let alone "prove" you attended/watched anything. Having a receipt for a webinar is no more proof of watching than a receipt of a book is proof of reading. Thankfully, the RCVS are enlightened here also and consider you a professional who can be relied upon to state facts truthfully (if not then they have a bigger problem than your CPD requirement being fulfilled....)

[quote userid="11308" url="~/001/nonclinical/f/life-in-practice-discussions/28997/rcvs-covid-19-reduction-of-25-in-hours-for-vet-rvn-cpd-in-2020/221330"]only 10 hours per year could be logged as undocumented reading. [/quote]

Correct. You now need to record what you read!

Here is an example:

"Understanding Animal Welfare" by David Fraser. 10 hours.

Previously you could have just written:

"Reading". 10 hours.

Even I don't think this is a particularly unreasonable or onerous change in requirements.

[quote userid="11308" url="~/001/nonclinical/f/life-in-practice-discussions/28997/rcvs-covid-19-reduction-of-25-in-hours-for-vet-rvn-cpd-in-2020/221330"]They're normally about 1 hour long so can be done fairly quickly and without too much difficulty. [/quote]

That's usually about 45minutes longer than the learned content required (not counting computer boot-up time).

[quote userid="11308" url="~/001/nonclinical/f/life-in-practice-discussions/28997/rcvs-covid-19-reduction-of-25-in-hours-for-vet-rvn-cpd-in-2020/221330"]There are a lot of free ones available so cost isn't a factor either. [/quote]

Have you ever considered why they are free? If you learn everything you know about cushings from "Dechra" then don't be surprised if the answer is treat with Vetoryl!

RE: RCVS COVID-19: Reduction of 25% in hours for Vet/RVN CPD in 2020

Anthony Dennison — Thu, 02 Apr 2020 13:08:10 GMT

[quote userid="12930" url="~/001/nonclinical/f/life-in-practice-discussions/28997/rcvs-covid-19-reduction-of-25-in-hours-for-vet-rvn-cpd-in-2020/221329"]It is difficult for me to understand the apparent popularity of the "webinar".[/quote]

I suspect because certificates are produced for them so vets can prove they attended/watched it if it came to a CPD review, which is harder to do with reading. Not sure about the new way of things, but only 10 hours per year could be logged as undocumented reading.

They're normally about 1 hour long so can be done fairly quickly and without too much difficulty.

There are a lot of free ones available so cost isn't a factor either.

RE: RCVS COVID-19: Reduction of 25% in hours for Vet/RVN CPD in 2020

Beats — Thu, 02 Apr 2020 12:58:36 GMT

You don't need to "go" anywhere to do "CPD".

You can learn a lot by reading.

Indeed, excepting practical skills, on the subject of knowledge alone, the ancient art of reading would be my preferred means of knowledge transfer.

It is difficult for me to understand the apparent popularity of the "webinar". This appears to mostly comprise of someone reading aloud slowly (occasionally with an unfamiliar accent making comprehension harder, and I am blessed with an accent myself so I think I'm allowed to say that) to the learner, hardly an efficient means of learning. Occasionally, I have been blessed with an excellent webinar in which I have learned a lot; I must then re-watch it slowly so I can write down the information (and copy and paste the photos) myself so I can refer back to it and read it at a later date when I actually need to refer to that knowledge - how much more efficient if the knowledge is in the written word already.

The RCVS has even included reading in their new 1CPD recording platform (albeit with the odd caveat of being "veterinary reading" in case the plebeian might not realise this important qualification and include their reading of the Sport pages of the Sun instead).

Here is a book list of things I have read that I can highly recommend, and the RCVS will be overjoyed for you to record your reflections on:

Understanding Animal Welfare by David Fraser (a breath of fresh air that does not equate welfare with health) - a must read for every vet in my mind - if you do one thing of CPD this year make it this. https://www.ufaw.org.uk/ufaw-wiley-blackwell-animal-welfare-series/understanding-animal-welfare
Steven R. Lindsay's 3-volumes on canine behaviour (especially voume1:. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/881523.Handbook_of_Applied_Dog_Behavior_and_Training_Adaptation_and_Learning#other_reviews)
Helen Ballantyne's Veterinary Nursing Care Plans: Theory and Practice (essential reading for the clinical coach and pleasantly does not simply regurgitate the often nonsensical utterances that have gone before, largely allowing the reader to decide themselves where the balance between pets and paperwork should fall). https://www.worldcat.org/title/veterinary-nursing-care-plans-theory-and-practice/oclc/1015953259
Clinical Reasoning in Small Animal Practice by Jill Maddison (Not every chapter worth reading, and some I found little agreement with, but the PUPD one and vomiting ones were foundational for me, and overall I thought it was a thought-provoking book)
Veterinary Epidemiology by Thrushfield (I simply love this book, excellent lucid discussion and explanation re diagnostic tests etc; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/book/10.1002/9781118280249)

and I could go on... Tastes will vary and nothing in this list may be of any interest to a given vet, but there is soooo much out there that it is hard to imagine that a vet is so educated already that they cannot gain from reading further.

Or even if have no library access and cannot afford books (and there are very many vastly more affordable options out there), there is a plethora of online information so extensive that it is simply a question of how long does one have to read, not a lack of quality material available.

One could start with clinical guidelines and consensus statements not already perused, and then move on to more specific topics. Or start on something more abstract such as animal ethics https://animalethics.ku.dk/

Or one could get an online library access including veterinary books and journals allowing infinite access to quality reading material.

RE: RCVS COVID-19: Reduction of 25% in hours for Vet/RVN CPD in 2020

Anthony Dennison — Thu, 02 Apr 2020 11:27:47 GMT

[quote userid="3929" url="~/001/nonclinical/f/life-in-practice-discussions/28997/rcvs-covid-19-reduction-of-25-in-hours-for-vet-rvn-cpd-in-2020/221310"]So just as a matter of interest , where do I go for the remaining 75% at the moment? , as so far everything I had planned has been cancelled not 25% of it ???. [/quote]

I've just made a webinar vet account to watch all their free medicine webinars. ISFM have released 40 hours of free webinars also.

When it comes to 'planning and reflecting' on the CPD app, I'm going to put that the pandemic affected my CPD plans so I changed to using online webinars with a medicine bias due to my certificate.

Luckily because I did two certificate modules last year, I've had the maximum of 25 hours carried over to this year. One webinar and I've met the minimum requirement!

RE: RCVS COVID-19: Reduction of 25% in hours for Vet/RVN CPD in 2020

Bob Russell — Thu, 02 Apr 2020 11:14:38 GMT

Webinar's with a glass of vino?

Not the most useful way to learn for me but easy and cheap/free.

Vetcpd courses are OK and inexpensive as refreshers. It is not the hours claimed that matter but how useful and constructive the time is spent.

No problem doing the hours but the value to education may not be that high.

RE: RCVS COVID-19: Reduction of 25% in hours for Vet/RVN CPD in 2020

grumpyoldman — Thu, 02 Apr 2020 10:54:06 GMT

So just as a matter of interest , where do I go for the remaining 75% at the moment? , as so far everything I had planned has been cancelled not 25% of it ???.

RE: RCVS COVID-19: Reduction of 25% in hours for Vet/RVN CPD in 2020

Beats — Thu, 02 Apr 2020 07:20:09 GMT

[quote userid="11202" url="~/001/nonclinical/f/life-in-practice-discussions/28997/rcvs-covid-19-reduction-of-25-in-hours-for-vet-rvn-cpd-in-2020/221290"]Why not return / extend the previous rolling average system?[/quote]

+1 vote for retrun to 3 year rolling average (ideally as a permanent fixture again).

RE: RCVS COVID-19: Reduction of 25% in hours for Vet/RVN CPD in 2020

vetbl.locum — Wed, 01 Apr 2020 22:05:08 GMT

That is fine but some vets will be very busy and others will be very quiet

Why not return / extend the previous rolling average system?

Let vets( and nurses) sort out best plan for themselves?

Just an idea

Rgds

PS If people cannot comply even with 25% reduction, what are you going to do ?

RE: RCVS COVID-19: Reduction of 25% in hours for Vet/RVN CPD in 2020

Neil Wheadon — Mon, 30 Mar 2020 20:39:15 GMT

Very welcome

Thankyou for at least starting to acknowledge that there is a problem out here.

My work has 100% dried up, no income, practice owners are in a worse position as they have employees to pay and even though can furlough they can't shut up completely as a service needs to be offered.

Talking to my accountant yesterday, the majority run under Ltd Companies so no help from the government (and no it's not sensible to pay yourself a full salary under this arrangement) so there will be real hardship.

Defer/reduce the RCVS fees, it's the right thing to do

Neil