Nurse Practitioner CPD Program
The Nurse Practitioner Continuing Professional Development program (NP-CPD) is a structured framework for Nurse Practitioner candidates which complements their masters to develop and assess necessary clinical skills to prepare them for endorsement as a Nurse Practitioner.
About NP-CPD
The NP-CPD is a structured program, designed to complement the Nurse Practitioner Masters to prepare NP candidates, and endorsed NPs, to enhance their scope of practice and career prospects. The program includes a detailed syllabus enabling students to undertake self-directed learning, problem solving and develop critical thinking skills in preparation for endorsement as a NP and sets the standard requirements for NP candidates and endorsed NPs.
The Alfred Hospital Emergency Department Nurse Practitioner team developed this program in 2013 and has been used since for the continued professional development of NPs in Emergency within our health service. This program is now available as a licence to organisations or individual candidates through the Alfred Emergency Academic Centre.
The aim of the program is to increase NP services and support working in full scope of practice to meet the diverse community needs of individual health services.
.jpeg)
Program Details
The NP-CPD Program is complementary to the masters, which provides a generalist approach to the NP role, however, does not prepare the candidate for the clinical aspects of emergency specialty. This program provides modular based prescriptive theoretical content and problem-based scenarios to foster clinical expertise. This program is designed to align with the Australian Nursing & Midwifery Council/APHRA accreditation standards for endorsement.
The program is designed around the Fast Track model of care in an adult emergency setting and includes:
-
Twelve self-directed core online learning modules including a monitored chat function for easy communication with candidates, coordinators and Alfred Health NPs
-
Complementary practical workshop frameworks for each module
-
Clinical and theoretical assessments to consolidate learning and prepare for endorsement
-
Alfred Heath Nurse Practitioner support and mentoring for program coordinators
Organisational Package
The NP CPD program can be offered as a package to organisations so they are able to deliver the program using their own resources. The program licence is contracted for 18 months with all the program inclusions (above) and no restriction on the number of NP candidates who can use the program from your hospital.
Organisational Package Optional Extras:
The following optional extras can be added to customise your package and will be costed separately:
Remote or in-person mentorship & organisational support in establishment of program and for the duration of the candidacy program.
Additional Alfred Health run teaching sessions (virtual or in person)
Option of candidate honorary placement at Alfred ED in a supernumerary role subject to availability
Site visits by an Alfred Health NP at the beginning or during the program as required
Program extensions past 18 months can be negotiated on a pro-rata basis
If you would like to speak to the team about how this program would fit into your organisation and to get a quote please: Contact Us
Program Delivery Options
The NP CPD is available as a customisable organisational package or individual enrolments run through the Alfred Emergency Academic Centre (AEAC).
1. General principles of advanced practice
2. Pharmacology
3. Integumentary system
4. Radiology
5. Musculoskeletal system
6. Infectious diseases
7. Genitourinary system
8. Neurology
9. Ear, nose & throat
10. Respiratory pathology
11. Gastrointestinal system
12. Haematological system
The 12 core learning modules focus on:
NP-CPD Team
Claire Lobb
Nurse Practitioner & External Partnerships Coordinator, NP-CPD
Jessica Cowan
Program Manager (Nursing Education)
Core Online Learning Modules
The program is based around twelve online modules, designed to address the key areas of advanced practice for new NPs. The first module focuses on general principles of advanced practice including NP scope of practice, history-taking models, communication frameworks and supervision and governance structure in the emergency department (ED). The following modules focus essential areas of NP practice, advanced anatomy & physiology, focused history & clinical examination, ordering & interpretation of investigations and management pathways. They are designed to relate directly to the learning required to apply the NP extensions to practice.
Practical Workshops
A framework for local health service driven face to face workshops are included for site coordinators with a lesson plan specific to each module.
Assessments
There are clinical and theoretical assessments run by local health services during the program to allow the student to demonstrate their learning and progression to independent practice and in order to identify learning gaps and areas which may need addressing.
The assessment components of the program include the following:
-
Clinical DOPS (Directly observed procedural skills)
-
Mini CEX ( Mini clinical evaluation exercise)
-
In-service nursing education/case presentations
-
Clinical log
-
Formative & summative assessments
