CPD Online eNewsletter February 2012

News:

Fully sortable module list

You can now sort the module titles on our Learning modules page by subject area (category), duration, CPD domain and other useful classifications and find just what you are looking for to meet your professional development requirements. And don’t forget you can now use CPD Online to gain up to 25 hours towards your annual CPD requirements.

Read further information on the forthcoming changes to the College’s CPD policy

Educational feature:

Use the tools available to you, by Dr Liz Hare, CPD Online Editor

The Chinese have a saying: ‘Experience is the comb life gives you when you are bald’. Taking part in lifelong learning can give you the tools you need before it is too late. With so much educational material out there, however, it is important to plan well, hence the importance of taking advice from your peer group as well as recommendations from your medical manager, who will have a view on the wider priorities of the service. I hope many of you will take the time to listen to the January podcast interview, in which two giants of British psychiatry, Professors Robin Murray and Tim Crow, share their experience of research into psychosis.

In the December CPD Online e-newsletter we heard from clinicians in Crawley about their working through modules in a collaborative manner, sharing expertise and experience. This development deserves attention as it can address the important aspect of social learning, which can be missing from on-line activities. In addition, Harvard Professor Eric Mazur (1977) has demonstrated in teaching physics to his students that discussing problems with their peers promotes deep learning - that is, an understanding that stays with you beyond the time of the activity. He argues that fellow learners can sometimes better appreciate and explain the snags and pitfalls of difficult areas in a way that an 'expert' might not. We would be pleased to know how you are using our modules and podcasts.

An introduction to CBT in psychosis
Find out when and how to use cognitive behaviour therapy in clinical practice. This module contains a number of case scenarios so you can learn how to engage with your patients effectively and develop successful treatment plans.

Understanding a patient’s spirituality can aid your perception of what is troubling them, but it also can offer many challenges. Develop the ability to engage meaningfully and fruitfully with patients’ spiritual concerns whilst being aware of the boundaries and ethical, confidentiality and privacy issues.

Professor Jonathan Bisson provides detailed guidance on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). He compares the diagnostic criteria, outlines the various psychological models of the disorder, and provides direction on the prevention and management of PTSD and the success rates of the interventions available.