Nurses need 18 CPD units for PRC ID renewal in 2017

UPDATED: Starting third quarter of 2017, nurses must have at least 18 units of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) programs as a requirement for renewal of Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) identification card.

In the latest Implementing Rules and Regulation issued by the Commission, here's the transitory period of CPD implementation:

• January to June 2017 - 0
• July to December 2017 - 30%
• January to December 2018 - 60%
• January 2019 onwards - 100%

UPDATE: Board of Nursing to require 60 CPD units, says BoN Member Glenda Arquiza.

This new requirement is based on the latest PRC resolution no. 2016-990 entitled "Amendments to the Revised Guidelines on the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Program for All Registered and Licensed Professionals," issued June 28, 2016.

Amendments include the following guidelines:

• Professional Regulatory Boards (PRB) under PRC shall create CPD Councils composed of Chairperson and 2 members.
• CPD Council accredits Local Providers and Foreign Providers of CPD Programs.
• All registered and licensed professionals shall complete the required CPD units every three years.

How to earn CPD units?

PRC-accredited CPD programs may be in the form of Professional Track such as seminars, training, workshops; Academic Track such as master's or doctorate degrees, professional chair appointment, residency, externship, specialty/sub-specialty programs, fellowship grants, post-graduate diploma; Self-Directed Training offered by non-accredited CPD providers evaluated by CPD Councils; or other such activities recommended by CPD Councils and approved by the Board and the Commission.

Professional Track and Self Directed Training may be in the form of face to face interaction or done online. Accredited CPD Providers may be Local or Foreign.

In the matrix provided by PRC, nurses have the same CPD Program unit requirements with other healthcare professionals like medical technologists, physicians, midwives, PTs and OTs. Here's the activities that earn CPD units:



The PRC resolution is in compliance with the new CPD Law or the Republic Act 10912 entitled Continuing Professional Development Act of 2016. The measure sponsored by Senator  Antonio Trillanes in the upper chamber, lapsed into law last July 21, 2016 after former President Benigno Aquino III neither signed or vetoed it.




Last October 17, PRC said that it will fully implement the CPD requirements in the first quarter of 2017 in compliance of the new law, giving enough time for Boards to "promulgate the general Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) which is mandated within six months from the effectivity of the said Act. Each Professional Regulatory Board (PRB) shall issue its own operational guidelines for the implementation of CPD Program."

In the recent PNA National Convention 2016, the Board of Nursing announced that the formulation of implementing rules and regulation of the law is now ongoing, and it will be ready around December 2016.

In the pre-convention summit, PNA also announced that they will conduct seminar/workshop entitled "Continuing Professional Development: Framework for Quality Assurance Program for Filipino Nurses" on November 23, 2016.

Infonurses.com will update you on what will come out of that seminar, and other information regarding the new CPD requirements. Please Like our Facebook page Infonurses.com.