Nursing knowledge changes constantly: new guidelines, medicines, technologies and evidence. Continuing professional development (CPD) keeps your practice safe and current, and it’s required by most nursing regulators for licence renewal. CPD also opens doors to promotion, specialisation and jobs abroad. It doesn’t have to be expensive.
Regulator requirements (examples)
Requirements vary and change, so always check your regulator. Examples:
- UK (NMC): 35 hours of CPD over three years, including 20 hours of participatory learning, as part of revalidation.
- Australia (NMBA): a minimum of 20 hours per year for nurses.
- Nigeria (NMCN), Ghana (NMC), Kenya (NCK), Philippines (PRC) and others have CPD or mandatory continuing education requirements linked to licence renewal. See our regulator guides, e.g. NMCN and NCK.
What counts as CPD?
- Courses, workshops and conferences.
- Online modules and webinars.
- In-service teaching on your ward.
- Reading journals and guidelines, and reflecting on them.
- Clinical audits and quality improvement projects.
- Mentoring and precepting students.
- Shadowing specialists.
- Writing articles or presenting posters.
Free and low-cost learning sources
- WHO Academy and OpenWHO: free courses on outbreaks (Ebola, mpox, cholera), infection prevention, emergency care and more, with certificates.
- Government and health service e-learning platforms: some are open to international users.
- Professional associations: national nursing associations and ICN offer webinars.
- University MOOCs (e.g. on Coursera, FutureLearn, edX): many free to audit.
- Manufacturer training for equipment (be aware of commercial bias).
- Your own workplace: ask about study days, simulation training and funding.
Recording CPD
- Keep a log: date, topic, method, hours, what you learned, and how it changed your practice.
- Store certificates securely (digital copies in the cloud).
- Link CPD to reflection. See reflective practice.
Plan CPD around your career goals
- Want to specialise in ICU? Prioritise critical care courses, ECG and ABG skills.
- Moving abroad? Learn the destination country’s systems, guidelines and language.
- Aiming for leadership? Management, quality improvement and teaching courses.
- Consider postgraduate study. See master’s scholarships.
Based on regulator guidance from the NMC (UK), NMBA (Australia) and other national nursing councils. Requirements change; always check your regulator’s current rules.