Continuing Professional Development Requirements For SANC

Continuing Professional Development Requirements For SANC – SANC is a statutory body in South Africa. This body regulates nurses midwives and general practitioners to make sure that they keep up good working standards and maintain professionalism in the field. It also makes sure they continually do what is expected of them in the field of practice. CPD on the other hand is Continuing Professional Development refers to the process whereby nurses, midwives and practitioners take up new courses and learning programs to enhance themselves as they work.

In this article, we are going to take deeper delve into CPD and the varied requirements of SANC. All these will be discussed in the following paragraphs.

What Is SANC?

SANC is an abbreviation that stands for South African Nursing Council. This is a government body in South Africa that has the sole responsibility of making sure that nurses are registered to maintain the very good standards of nursing in the country. SANC only registers qualified nurses and offers them support. It also develops policies that aim at promoting and enhancing better healthcare delivery in the country.

What Is The Purpose of SANC?

SANC has many purposes. Below are some of them;

SANC is responsible for making sure nurses and midwives maintain a good standard of nursing with excellence and integrity
SANC is responsible for registering and giving licenses to qualified nurses in South African. You cannot practice in the country without SANC accreditation.
SANC is equally responsible for accrediting nursing schools and institutions making sure they are following all the rules and in essence, meet the requirements to train nurses.
SANC maintains professional conduct and discipline.
SANC offers support to nurses through advocacy and policy initiation.
It promotes ongoing learning and professional development among nurses and midwives to keep them updated with the latest practices and advancements in healthcare.

What Is CPD?

Nurses and midwives can maintain and improve their skills and knowledge by participating in continuous professional development, or CPD. Formal schooling, workshops, seminars, and informal learning activities like journal reading are all part of CPD. A lot of regulatory agencies, including SANC, award points for different activities and frequently require CPD participation to keep registration.

What Is The Purpose Of CPD?

The continuing professional development program was instituted for a purpose. There is or are reasons why the SANC initiated the program. The purposes include;

The purpose of the CPD is to make sure that nurses and midwives stay excellent as far as the practice is concerned. It cannot go without saying that trends change all the time and it is essential for nurses and midwives to stay up to date with all the new things that come up. By going through CPD, they will be able to stay grounded.
CPD promotes growth in the nursing community as it creates opportunities for practitioners to keep learning as they move up the ladder and gain more knowledge.
To promote health, safeguard the public interest, and provide the South African population with high-quality nursing care, CPD improves practitioners’ accountability to these parties as well as to themselves, their profession, their employers, families, and patients.

CPD Requirements And Guidelines

Just like every entity, there is a set of requirements and guidelines that make the body whole. Below are the requirements and guidelines of the CPD.

Requirements

Nurses and midwives must make sure they get a certain amount of points or credits within a particular time frame. These credits and points are often collected annually or biennially.
The program includes diverse training activities which include workshops, journals, formal and informal education and attending of different seminars
There is a must for the midwives and nurses to document their activities. This may include the dates, activities taken, duration, learning outcomes and a host of others.
Another requirement is for the practitioners to reflect on everything they have learnt and the role they play in their lives
After their CPD programs, there will be a time for regulatory bodies like SANC to verify and audit everything that was learned during the program
Nurses and midwives must make sure that whatever CDP program they are onto is relevant to their field of practice.
To promote thorough professional development, CPD requirements frequently incorporate exercises of nursing’s professionalism, ethics, and legal elements.

Guidelines

Minimum CPD points and credits
Approved activities
Documentation and record-keeping
Relevance to practice
Reflective practice
Audit and compliance
Ethics and professionalism

CPD Activities and Accreditation

The CPD activities include a wide range of activities that nurses and midwives undertake once it is their time. Here is a list of the activities;

Formal education that may or not include university education and courses, workshops, seminars and conferences
Informal learning may include learning or reading educative journals and books and attending webinars and online courses
Practical experience through day-to-day clinical work and analyzing case studies
Professional development programs where nurses can act as mentors to others who have less experience as well as participate in peer review
Conducting research and publishing articles
Quality improvement projects

Accreditations

CPD accreditations ensure that professionals meet the standards of what they claim to have learned. Educational institutions and professional organizations are likely to offer these accreditations.

The accreditation criteria include relevance, quality, learning objectives and assessment.

Benefits Of CPD For Nursing Professionals

CPD has several benefits for nursing professionals in South Africa. These include;

Enhanced knowledge in the field of practice
Improved patience care
Career Advancement
Professional competence
Adaptability to change
Increased job satisfaction
Networking opportunities
Enhanced professional reputation
Compliance with regulatory requirements
Ethical and professional standards
Personal development

Impact of CPD On Nursing Practice in South Africa

CPD has had many impacts on the nursing practice in South Africa. Here is a list;

CPD frequently consists of instruction on the moral and legal ramifications of nursing practice. By navigating difficult situations and making educated decisions, this knowledge lowers the possibility of legal problems and ethical lapses for nurses.
Enhanced clinical competence
Improved patient outcomes
Professional growth and personal development
Adaptation to healthcare changes
Compliance with regulatory standards
Participating in CPD events encourages nurses to have a culture of lifelong learning and professional accountability. The nursing profession’s credibility and dependability are increased by this accountability.
By guaranteeing that nurses maintain current skills and knowledge, continuing professional development (CPD) plays a vital role in healthcare quality assurance. Sustaining excellent levels of care requires this regular update.
Interprofessional collaboration
Research and innovation
Community health impact

List Of Accredited CPD providers

FluidRock Governance Academy.
University of Johannesburg. …
Stellenbosch Business School. …
Busara Leadership Partners. …
Envision Advisory Services (EAS) …
UCT Law@work. …
JSE.
University of Cape Town
University of the Witwatersrand
Stellenbosch University
University of Pretoria
University of KwaZulu-Natal

Online Platforms and Tools For CPD Providers

There are lots of platforms and tools for CPD providers. Here is a list;

mycpd.co.za
cpdforprofessionals.com
healthcareskills.com
nursecpd.com
futurelearn.com

CPD Tools

Moodles
Canvas
Blackboard
Zoom
Microsoft teams

SANC Resources And Guidelines For CPD

SANC policies clearly outline how many CPD points nurses and midwives need to get for the different categories.
Lists of accredited institutions and organizations offering CPD opportunities. This may include universities, professional associations, and training organizations
There are guidelines on how the points are allocated for the diverse learning activities
There is a need for all nurses and midwives undergoing CDP to keep a personal record. Nurses typically keep a log of all their activities and achievements
There is information on how to submit these records when the need arises
There is an outline of the compliances and how people who go contrary to it will be dealt with
Information on auditing and verification and how often it takes place is also made known
There is a support service made available where anyone at all can seek help and information
Information on available support services for navigating the CPD requirements and resources.

FAQS

What is Continuous Professional Development (CPD)?

CPD on the other hand is Continuing Professional Development refers to the process whereby nurses, midwives and practitioners take up new courses and learning programs to enhance themselves as they work.

How Do I Earn CDP Points?

You can earn CPD points by participating in accredited activities such as workshops, seminars, conferences, online courses, and other educational programs recognized by SANC.

How Do I Find Accredited CDP Activities?

SANC provides lists of accredited CPD providers and events on their official website. You can also check with professional associations and educational institutions for accredited programs.