Note: This article was originally published in our Summer 2020 edition of our On Call newsletter, and has not been updated.
Given the circumstances surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic and a lack of availability of continuing competency courses since March 2020, for renewal 2020, practising members will only be required to provide satisfactory evidence of training in Neonatal Resuscitation (NRP) to the College no later than October 1, 2020. Evidence of training in Emergency Skills (ES) and Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) for registration renewal 2020 will not be required.
Members holding Inactive class registration with the College are not required to submit any evidence of continuing competencies for registration renewal.
For Renewal 2020 only, satisfactory evidence of NRP consists of having one of the following:
- Valid NRP card uploaded to the Member Portal. Valid means your certification will not be expired as of October 1, 2020.
- An NRP card that expired a year or less than one year ago uploaded to the Member Portal.
- An NRP card that expired more than a year ago and the required College form uploaded to the Member Portal confirming that since October 1, 2019, you have:
- reviewed relevant materials, textbooks, and guidelines related to neonatal emergency skills;
- discussed and practised responses to hypothetical neonatal emergency case scenarios and practised hypothetical neonatal emergencies with one or more members of the College, who meet one of the following:
- who successfully renewed their registration as a practising member with the College for 2019-2020;
- who since October 1, 2019, changed class from Inactive to General and was not required to sign an Acknowledgement and Undertaking; or
- who became registered to practise with the College since October 1, 2019
- reflected on what you learned and discussed and have addressed any issues or shortcomings in your knowledge, skills and judgment that are relevant to your practice.
For option three, the required form will be available in the Renewal section of the College’s website. Members who will be completing option three should keep a record of what they reviewed, who they reviewed it with and when.
NRP instructors are required to provide both evidence of having taught a course within the past 12 months and evidence of being an instructor with relevant certificates and documents uploaded to the Member Portal. If an instructor is not able to provide this evidence, then the instructor must complete option three above.
For renewal 2020, evidence for ES and CPR will not be required, however, if you do have current ES or CPR to upload to the Member Portal or to add on the renewal form, you may add them. Please note that members are still required to maintain their competence to provide care in these areas. If you feel that you are not competent, then you should take an ES and/or CPR course as needed.
Please note that for the next renewal deadline of October 1, 2021, all practising members will be required to show evidence of current training in NRP, ES and CPR in accordance with the College’s Continuing Competency Requirements and Approved Courses, unless notified otherwise by the College.
Frequently Asked Questions About Continuing Competencies
1. Can option three for NRP be completed virtually?
Yes, for NRP option three you are not required to complete an in-person portion since a virtual format to discuss and practise hypothetical emergency scenarios with another midwife or midwives is deemed acceptable by the College. Please retain a record of what was reviewed, who was part of the review, and when it occurred.
2. For option three, can the hypothetical scenarios component be done within my midwifery practice group?
Yes, you may complete the hypothetical scenarios component for NRP as a group at your practice. Each midwife should retain a brief written record of activities, including dates and College members involved.
3. If I will be Inactive as of October 1, 2020, what am I required to submit?
If you will be registered in the Inactive class as of October 1, 2020, you are not required to provide the College with proof of continuing competencies. However, if you intend to return to practice soon and wish to provide your continuing competency documents to the College, you may do so. Inactive members are still required to complete and submit a renewal application, pay registration renewal fees, and submit active practice reports no later than October 1, 2020.
4. What if I cannot complete training to meet the continuing competency requirements in 2021 due to the pandemic?
The College will continue to monitor the availability of continuing competency courses during the pandemic and will provide members with an update as necessary.