Basic clinical observations / vital signs

Continuous Professional Development (CPD) is the way that professionals continue to learn and develop throughout their career and ensure they keep their skills and knowledge up to date to be able to practise safely.

If you work in a role that requires registration with a regulatory body such as nursing, then you are required to keep your skills and knowledge up to date through CPD.

For example, all nurses on the NMC register must complete 35 hours of CPD in a three year period. E-learning can count towards some of the required CPD hours, so the great news is Academy e-learning modules can be used to evidence ongoing CPD hours!

Each module on Academy gives an indication of the time required in “active learning” to complete it. Once the module is completed and the assessment passed, a certificate is then issued which can be downloaded.

The terms CPD hours/scores/points are used interchangeably, although a module on Academy does not give the number of CPD “points”, the general guide is that usually one hour of learning equates to one CPD “point”.

Most of Florence Academy modules are independently accredited by the CPD Standards Office and many of them are also aligned to the Core Skills Training Framework (CSTF). Each course overview details whether the course is accredited and/or aligned, meaning you can be confident that they meet industry standards.

To find out more about:

• CPD Standards Office please visit here

• CSTF alignment please visit here

• NMC CPD revalidation please visit here

Any care home/NHS Trust outside of Florence can accept them, depending on their policies. Sometimes organisations have a preference for a certain course or they might ask to see the learning outcomes to be sure what has been covered in the course, we recommend you check with them directly.

It's free to learn on Florence Academy – you can go through all modules in a course and complete assessments without paying.

We charge just £2.99 (ex VAT) to see and download each course pass certificate, and £7.99 (ex VAT) to purchase a video course.

You can buy your certificate immediately after completing the course (and passing your assessment), or you can purchase it later by clicking the "Get certified" button for the course on your certificates page.

We accept most card types, including Visa and Mastercard. We don't currently take PayPal.

*You won't need to pay for certificates for courses completed before 11 January, 2023. If you have finished registration with Florence and are a Florence worker, you can see and download course pass certificates for free.

Academy is an online learning platform designed for those working in social care and looking for professional development. You can log in or create an account here.

Our Florence Academy specialist Clinical Content Team is made up of experts in health and social care and digital learning - a winning combo. We are skilled and experienced and create accurate and interesting learning experiences on any topic. We are:

• clinical experts

• writers, editors and proofreaders

• creative designers

• learning experience creators

• data analysers.

We focus on producing accurate and relevant learning content you can trust.

The information and online educational content provided by Florence Academy is intended for general knowledge and educational purposes only. It is designed to assist you in meeting your continuing professional development (CPD) requirements. Florence Academy cannot be held responsible for the performance or implementation of your duties at work or professional skills.

The content should not be considered medical, health, wellness, nutritional advice or consultation. It is not a substitute for the services or advice of a qualified health professional who provides evidence-based care within a specific context. The content is generalised and does not take into account an individual's circumstances, physical well-being, mental state, or medical needs, which are important factors in correctly diagnosing and treating any health condition.

Florence Academy explicitly advises against disregarding medical advice or encouraging others to do so, or delaying seeking medical advice based on this content.
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While Florence Academy strives to ensure that all content is complete and accurate at the time of publication, we do not assume responsibility for any errors, omissions, or defects in the content. Florence Academy does not guarantee the accuracy of information provided by any third party and accepts no liability for any loss or damage that may occur as a result of relying on such information.