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The Continuing Competence (CC) program can be an area of confusion for many members. It is always beneficial to cover some common areas of confusion for members. Over the coming months leading up to renewal, we will be addressing areas of the CC program to help members better understand how it works and what is required. Today, we are going over the basics:
What is the Continuing Competence (CC) program?
Every profession regulated under the Health Professions Act (HPA) is required to maintain currency in their practice. This is done by completing training that either enhances or expands your knowledge and skills, which is the core function of our Continuing Competence (CC) program. The CC program fosters individual improvement and growth of professional practice, improving the level of service and care provided to Albertans.
Who is required to participate?
All regulated members on the general register have CC credit requirements. Provisional regulated members do not have any requirements. As well as members on the general register who are in their initial registration year (first registration date to first renewal application) do not have credit requirements as they are determined competent in practice at the point of registration.
To find out if you have credit requirements, you can look under the CC page in your member portal. If you have requirements, it will look like this:
What are my credit requirements and how do I meet them?
All regulated members that are required to participate must meet a credit requirement of 60 credits per CC cycle. Activities are broken down into Continuing Education (CE) activities or Self-Directed (SD) activities. A minimum of 30 out of the 60 credits must be completed from the CE category. The remaining 30 credits can be completed in either category: CE or SD.
If you are taking a leave from practice and will not being working in the field for a prolonged time, you may apply to the College for a credit adjustment.
CE vs. SD activities
CE activities are courses/training that the College has vetted and approved. These activities can be found on the extensive CE list shown in your member portal and there are over 1000 different activities on the list.
SD activities are courses/training that are not on the CE list but still relevant to your practice. This can include anything from employer-required training, precepting, committee work, etc.
How much time do I have?
The CC program runs from the beginning of the registration year to the end: October 1 to September 30. This means that you can begin your CC training as early as October 1 but must have all your credits met by the time you renew your registration (as late as September 30).
If you have any questions about the CC program, please contact CC@ABparamedics.com.