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As we near the end of the CPD calendar year, we remind members of the tools and resources available to record your learning and meet the mandatory CPD requirements as set by the Optometry Board of Australia (OBA).

In order to bring optometry closer in alignment with other regulated health professions, in December 2020 the OBA announced changes to the Registration Standard and Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Guidelines for optometry.

The most significant changes were the shift from a two-year CPD cycle to one and the replacement of the points-based system with a time-based system. As a result, the development and maintenance of a CPD portfolio (inclusive of a learning plan) became mandatory for all optometrists.

Maintaining CPD portfolio is ‘short-term pain for long-term gain’

We spoke with A/Prof Daryl Guest, who formerly served on the OBA and who is now retired, about why he believes this system, applied by the OBA two years ago, is more conducive to learning, and how learning plans and reflections will ultimately lead to long-term career development for optometrists and improved practice behaviours in the consulting room.

‘The purpose of CPD is not to fill up little empty vessels with knowledge – it’s to enhance practice behaviour for the better by developing the skills of practitioners who should then provide better care in the consulting room,’ he said.

‘This should always be the end outcome. If you haven’t achieved this change, then you have to question what the purpose of CPD is.

‘Learning plans actually require practitioners sit down and identify and prioritise areas of weakness in their practice that they need to improve, and strengths that they wish to enhance. By working through a learning objective, an activity and an evaluation or a reflection on that activity – we know from university learning that is the best way to learn, and there is good literature to back this up.

‘Reflections are important because they demonstrate whether the CPD activity has in fact changed practice behaviour for the better. When you can evaluate and answer this question, you show a level of sophistication. Reflections don’t have to be pages and pages; it’s the insightfulness that matters, not the length.

‘CPD portfolios: learning plans and reflections – ultimately, they are short-term pain for long-term gain.’

Tools to help you maintain your learning requirements

Optometry Australia’s Head of Education, Sam Bonwick says, ‘We recognise this process implemented by the OBA in 2020 leads to effective adult learning.

‘As we near the end of the CPD year, it’s a good time to remind members of the tools and resources we have available to you to support your learning and to maintain your CPD portfolios.

‘Among the CPD tools available is an online learning plan platform where you can specify your learning goals for the year, identify CPD activities that are best suited to helping you realise these goals, and provide a written reflection on each activity taken. This learning plan can be adapted, updated and printed at any time throughout the year.

‘Further to this, members will also automatically have uploaded to their CPD portfolio any Optometry Australia Institute of Excellence quality assured CPD activity that they complete. This means you don’t have to track them or record if they are clinical, therapeutic, interactive or non-clinical CPD hours.

‘If you have any queries, or require any assistance with completing your CPD portfolio, you can contact us at national@optometry.org.au or call our Optometry Advisor Help Desk on 03 9668 8500.’

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In the spirit of reconciliation Optometry Australia acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.