As highly skilled healthcare professionals, MRTs and ENPs are always learning. The Continuing Competence Program (CCP) allows members to maintain a tangible record of how their knowledge and skills have evolved over time and explore opportunities for further professional growth. The current CCP cycle ends August 31, 2021, and regulated members must ensure they have completed their required hours of learning activities and logged them along with their learning plan and self-assessment in My CCP by this date.
Earlier this year, the College’s Council, Competence Committee and Registrar considered the challenges of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and agreed to adjust the minimum learning hours required for the 2020-21 CCP cycle (September 1, 2020, to August 31, 2021). Members are required to complete 12 learning hours if they hold general registration for the entire cycle, or one hour of learning for every month they hold general registration. Detailed information about the CCP is available in the Continuing Competence Program Information Guide (please note the required hours referenced in the guide do not reflect the one-time change made for this cycle).
It is required by the Health Professions Act (HPA) and the Medical Diagnostic and Therapeutic Technologists Profession Regulation (the Regulation) that all regulated members comply with the requirements of the CCP. Every year, the College conducts two types of audits to monitor member compliance: the CCP Audit and the CCP Analytics Verification.
The CCP Audit is conducted to verify that a member’s reflective practice review includes the required number of learning hours, satisfactory learning activities and acceptable self-reflections. Up to 20% of the College’s membership may be randomly selected for this audit, and members will be notified in July if they have been selected. An audited member will be asked to submit their reflective practice review on September 1 for review by the Competence Committee, which is made up of MRTs and ENPs from across the province.
The CCP Analytics Verification is conducted every September to verify that every regulated member has entered information into each of the three components of the CCP (self-assessment, learning plan and records of learning activities) on the My CCP platform for the cycle that just ended. Through this process, the College is not able to see any detail of the member’s CCP and so the member’s reflective practice review remains confidential. The College will contact all members who have not completed their CCP. Members will not be able to renew their registration if their CCP is incomplete.
The College is here to help you with any questions or issues you may have with the CCP or the My CPP platform. Please feel welcome to contact Linda O’Hara, Director, Education and Competence, at lohara@acmdtt.com, and she will be happy to guide you through the components of the program and the process for completing it. More information about the CCP is also available on the Continuing Competence section of the College website.
Courtenay is an ENP who works in a large urban centre. Courtenay has been approached by their supervisor to be trained in intraoperative monitoring (IOM). When performing IOM, ENPs utilize a variety of tests to assess the functional status of the patient’s nervous system throughout the surgical procedure while the patient is under anesthesia. Surgeons use IOM to help guide surgical decision-making during procedures (e.g., scoliosis correction, spine surgery, epilepsy surgery, brain, spinal cord tumours) to prevent devastating outcomes, such as paralysis.
Is Courtenay authorized to perform IOM?
As an ENP, Courtenay is not primarily authorized to perform IOM. IOM is an enhanced practice authorization that ENPs may apply for once they have completed advanced training that has been approved by the College’s Council.
What does Courtenay have to do to be trained?
Courtenay must complete a training program that has been approved by Council. A current list of approved programs may be found on Additional and Enhanced Practice Authorization page. Once Courtenay completes this training and applies to the College for this authorization, the application must be reviewed and approved by the Registrar prior to them performing these tasks independently. Courtenay must also reapply for this authorization every year when renewing their practice permit online by selecting “Yes” to renewing the authorization and entering information about their supervisor, who will verify that Courtenay is still competent to perform the activity.
What Standards of Practice apply to this scenario?
Standard 1.2 Clinical Procedures
To demonstrate this Standard, a regulated member will:
- e. Possess the necessary competence to perform the procedure safely and effectively.
- g. Ensure patient safety (e.g., transfers, physical environment).
- m. Identify and communicate with the appropriate healthcare provider any procedural concerns or patient’s expressed wishes (e.g., appropriateness of or modifications to the procedure, patient’s gender expression).
Standard 2.2 Professional Competence
To demonstrate this Standard, a regulated member will:
- b. Practice within the limits of the member’s competence.
- c. Maintain knowledge of current and evolving technologies and integrate new learning into practice, as appropriate.
Standard 2.3 Restricted Activities/Enhanced Practice
To demonstrate this Standard, a regulated member will:
- a. Perform only those restricted activities for which they have the required competence and current authorization.
- c. Be responsible and accountable for safely performing the restricted activity.
- d. Understand the risks associated with performing the restricted activity and ensure that measures are in place to manage any critical or unexpected events associated with performing it.
Standard 4.2 Professional Competence
To demonstrate this Standard, a regulated member will:
- u. Ensure electrical safety for patients (e.g., indwelling catheters, proper grounding of patients).
Code of Ethics
Principle 3 – Responsibility to oneself
- b. Accountability – A regulated member takes responsibility and is accountable for their professional activities.
There are many documents that help guide a regulated member’s practice. View these documents on our Resources page.