For veterinary nurses in the UK, staying current with professional knowledge and skills is not just a good idea; it’s a requirement. The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) sets out clear expectations when it comes to continuing professional development (CPD) for veterinary professionals, and understanding your veterinary nurse CPD requirements can make all the difference in building a successful career in veterinary nursing.
CPD is about keeping skills sharp and staying informed as the profession evolves, so that you can offer the best care to your patients and clients. Whether it’s practising new clinical procedures, staying up to date with industry developments – such as understanding the latest in animal welfare legislation – or honing your softer skills (hello client communication!), CPD plays a vital role in maintaining high standards across the industry. So, what do you need to know about the vet nurse CPD requirements in the UK?
According to the RCVS, every registered veterinary nurse (RVN) in the UK must complete at least 15 hours of CPD every calendar year. CPD hours can’t be rolled from one year to the next and apply they whether you’re a full-time or part-time veterinary nurse, and if you are an RCVS-registered RVN practising overseas. If, for some reason, you can't complete your required CPD hours, you can apply to the RCVS for a pause - see the FAQs below!
The RCVS requires you to follow the “plan, do, record, reflect” cycle, so you’ll need to:
Vet nurse CPD can take many forms, and the good news is that you’re probably meeting your CPD requirements without even realising it! Activities that count towards your vet nurse CPD hours may include:
Formal vet nurse CPD: This may include face-to-face or online CPD, such as:
Workplace-based vet nurse CPD: This day-to-day learning can often happen tacitly and may include:
Self-directed CPD: This may happen outside of work hours or during lunch breaks and could include:
It is easy to feel overwhelmed by needing to achieve 15 hours of RVN CPD, but many vet nurses meet this requirement without even realising. The key is to ensure the activities are planned, recorded, and reflected upon. That means it’s not really enough to just take whatever free vet nurse CPD you can find – you need to plan to improve a particular area. Indeed, you can have up to 10 objectives at a time, and making these personal to you (perhaps with the help of our CPD advisors) will help you to achieve them. However, the focus now is on quality over quantity, and on how CPD contributes to improving clinical practice or enhancing soft skills like communication, leadership or resilience.
So, you’ve planned your CPD and now comes actually doing it. If you’re attending a scheduled event or webinar, you’ll know where and when you’ll be learning; but, if not, you’ll need to set aside time (and find a space) to do it.
As a student veterinary nurse, you’ll have spent a lot of time revising and understanding how you learn best. This is still relevant to you now, as your learning style will dictate how you best comprehend your CPD: jotting down notes or keywords will help the information stick to your memory, alternatively, making voice memos and recording the lecture may work best for you. Taking pictures of any diagrams or graphs can be a helpful timesaver, too.
Working with your preferred learning style will mean that you’ll be able to make the most of your CPD without actually spending too much energy on it. Taking regular breaks from CPD is also important, often helping to cement your learning and it may naturally start the process of reflection. Lastly, make sure to keep your notes (in whatever form!) together, so you can easily find them at a later date.
All vet nurse CPD needs recording. If you're in the UK, this needs to be done on the RCVS 1CPD app or platform. CPD is a requirement for veterinary professionals, so the RCVS can audit veterinary CPD records at any time. This means it's really important for you to keep records up to date and record them as soon as possible after completing the activity. Failing to meet these obligations could result in removal from the professional register, so it’s essential to stay on top of it.
Reflection can be an ambiguous term, so what does reflection mean in the veterinary profession? According to the RCVS, reflection involves a “systematic and critical analysis of the learning and development you’ve undertaken, thinking about if and how you will make changes to how you work as a result”. At the core, you need to identify how what you’ve learned will impact you day to day or on a wider level. So, although reflecting can feel like behemoth task, it can solidify your learning and help to shape your vet nurse career.
Still feeling stuck on how to start reflecting? Our article Reflecting on Your Veterinary CPD gives some helpful practical tips and prompts to help you.
If you've still got questions, these frequently asked questions might help! Alternatively, our CPD advisors are always on hand to answer any questions about your vet nurse CPD requirements in the UK.
All your CPD activities need to be recorded on the RCVS 1CPD platform. The only exception to this is if you’re an RCVS-registered vet nurse working overseas, then you can use whatever platform is available in the country you’re currently working in. The platform allows you to record on the go, so you don’t have to wait until you’re back home or at your desk to reflect on how your CPD has helped you meet your objectives.
Yes, in the UK there’s no limit to how much free vet nurse CPD you can use to meet the requirements. However, you should make sure you still follow the Plan, Do, Record, Reflect cycle, so make sure any free CPD you do meets your plan and you can reflect on how it has (or hasn’t) changed your approach in practice. Some workplace CPD may be unplanned – like a debrief after a difficult case – this still counts, just make sure you properly record and reflect on it.
It can be a struggle to fit CPD requirements in between work, life and any other expected (and unexpected) commitments. The CPD requirement for vet nurses can be paused either for planned absences from work (parental leave or sabbaticals) or exceptional circumstances (recent significant illness of yourself or a close family member, an unexpected change in family/carer responsibilities, or a recent disability). You can apply to pause your CPD through the RCVS for a break of up to 6 months while staying on the register. Your CPD will then be adjusted pro rata when you return. You can also put together a development plan to get back on track with your RVN CPD on your return. If you need to pause your vet nurse CPD responsibilities for longer than this, talk to the RCVS - it may be best to remove yourself from the register, although there is a fee to pay to reinstate yourself.
Being a vet nurse means lifelong learning, but this is likely one of the reasons why you may have gotten involved in the industry anyway, so don’t let veterinary CPD become a tick-box exercise. Ultimately, CPD is about investing in yourself and your career. It’s a chance to grow, nuture your interests, and continue doing what you love to the best of your ability. For many nurses, it also opens doors to new opportunities and greater job satisfaction.
So, if you haven’t already, now’s a great time to check in on your CPD plan. Are you on track? Is your learning aligned with your goals?
If not, why not see how we can help. We’d love to hear more about your professional development and career goals and help you plan your next move. Our CPD advisors are happy to talk you through your options.