Developing your career

This pathway is designed to support pharmacy professionals in advancing their practice in the education, training and development of others.

The pathway is self-directed, and provides a seamless blend of online and face-to-face learning that actively supports you in developing the knowledge, skills and behaviours needed to advance your practice as an educator and trainer.

The programme is made up of the following main components:

• A self-assessment framework to help identify your learning needs and plan your journey through the pathway
• A self-directed e-course
• One online workshop, to develop your skills as a reflective practitioner
• One face-to-face workshop, to develop your presentation and facilitation skills
• One reflective essay, to demonstrate how you have applied your learning to practice
• One peer discussion, to encourage reflection on learning and practice with others.

You can complete all components, or a selection – the choice is yours. If you successfully complete all five components, you will be awarded with a digital certificate which lists the learning you have completed and demonstrates your commitment to advancing your practice as an educator. You can find out more about this in the pathway progress and record of completion section on this page.

How long does it take to complete the Advancing your practice in education pathway?

If you dedicate regular study time, we anticipate that it will take you three to six months to complete all elements of the pathway.

The pathway is designed to be used flexibly – you can study as much or as little of it as you need. Using our self-assessment framework will help you to plan a route through the pathway that meets your priorities and learning needs. There are no enforced deadlines, and you may revisit any component at any time.

Topic 1

Developing yourself as an educator through reflective practice and action planning

On completion of all learning and activities in this topic, you will be able to:

• Define reflective practice as described by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC)
• List the benefits of reflective practice for you, trainees and the wider healthcare system
• Explain the difference between reflection ‘in action’ and reflection ‘on action’, and identify when you would use each process in practice
• Compare and contrast a GPhC reflective account with the stages of the Gibbs reflective cycle
• Explain how to use the personal development planning cycle to support your own professional development or the development of others
• Use a reflective model to develop an action plan with SMART objectives to support your development and the development of others
• Create a personal development plan to improve your performance and meet the needs of your organisation, service users and people you support
• Critically assess your own learning needs using a self-assessment framework

Topic 2

Developing others through assessment, feedback, mentorship and support

On completion of all learning and activities in this topic, you will be able to:

• List the principles of assessment
• Describe the difference between formative and summative assessment, and give examples of when you would use each in practice
• Identify appropriate methods and tools used for workplace-based assessment
• Describe the advantages and disadvantages of workplace-based assessments
• Use strategies to overcome perceived challenges to workplace-based assessments
• Discuss the characteristics of effective feedback
• Provide effective feedback to a trainee using an appropriate feedback model
• Describe the key qualities and skills required of a good mentor or coach
• Structure a coaching conversation using the GROW model, including appropriate questions for exploring the coachee’s needs, feelings and ideas
• Identify and assist trainees who require additional support
• Identify sources of support and guidance for yourself as an educator

Topic 3

Developing and delivering impactful educational interventions

On completion of all learning and activities in this topic, you will be able to:

• List the factors that make a learning event impactful
• Describe an activity that would be suitable for different learning preferences
• Develop a lesson plan that is underpinned by the principles of how adults learn
• Define ‘inclusive learning’
• List the ten recommendations of the NHS Safe Learning Environment Charter and how you can apply them to practice
• Describe how you can promote inclusion in your role as an educator
• Describe the role of a facilitator
• Describe the four levels of the Kirkpatrick model and use them to evaluate a training session
• Define the four principles of sustainable healthcare, and give examples of how each principle can be embedded into educational interventions

Pharmacists and pharmacy technicians in any sector who support the education, training and development of others.

CPPE has designed an efficient way for you to keep track of your progress through the pathway with the e-learning, workshops, assessments and activities you undertake as you progress with the Advancing your practice in education pathway. To view and record you progress and to generate your Record of completion certificate select the Record of completion button at the top of this webpage.

You can enrol onto the programme at any time. Once you enrol, you will have access to the e-course – this is where your learning journey begins. In the e-course you will find all the components of this pathway: the self-assessment framework, learning, assessments and details on how to book onto the workshops.

Enrol now