Continuous Professional Development: A Reflective Learning Account

This essay provides a reflective account of continuous professional development (CPD), focusing on learning experiences and skills development within the context of social care. It details an incident involving participation in a group discussion, highlighting the importance of communication skills an...Read More

Reflective
1

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY..................................................................................................................................3
Learning from incident related to continuous professional development...................................3
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................9
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................10
APPENDIX....................................................................................................................................11
My career timeline.....................................................................................................................11
2

INTRODUCTION
Continuous professional development is a procedure in which we focus on learning
activities that leads us towards learning outcomes (García and Weiss, 2019). We as an
individual’s need to develop our career and for that we all are required having some skills. We
need to become successful in our selected job role in the future and for that we need to identify
areas in which we are good and in which we need to make improvements. This reflection study
on continuous professional development, I will discuss my experience and share feelings of some
incidents from which, I developed my knowledge. I have problem to speak in the front of lots of
people, but slowly, slowly I will improve that! In this study, I will discuss effectiveness as well
as importance of having communication, team working, decision making and problem solving
skills. My carrier in teaching brought about all these skills help us out in becoming successful in
our career and continuous professional development. It will also discuss some advantages and
barriers of working in multidisciplinary team.
MAIN BODY
Learning from incident related to continuous professional development
Continuous professional development is a process in which individuals get engaged in
learning activities in order to increase their knowledge, skills and focus on developing
themselves. I have attended modules and participated in some activities in class that developed
me professionally. I want to share my experience of incident that helped me out in increasing my
knowledge regarding healthcare sector.
Description: In this first step of Gibbs reflection, I want to discuss my feelings about
incident that developed me professionally. As a student I participated in all learning modules in
class. I used to observe my tutors in order to know the best way of teaching and engaging
diverse students in learning activities. My university was going to engage in group discussion
with other colleges. I was asked to participate in group discussion. I become a teacher when I
had fear of public speaking so, I denied but with the help and support of other students and
tutors, I participated in group discussion (McComb and Eather, 2017). Initially, I faced number
of problems. Due to fear of public speaking, I got nervous but an ability to communicate with
others helped me out in becoming successful. I did not win that debate but it boosted my
confidence. After participating in that group discussion, I realized that engaging ourselves in
3

learning activities and all activities is important as it leads continuous professional development.
It decreases our weaknesses, increases our skills that help us out in our both professional and
personal lives. I came to know that pushing ourselves in all those activities that can increase our
knowledge is important.
My tutors often used to focus on team working. I was assigned a project that I had to
complete in a group. I was good in team working as I preferred to complete projects in team
working. I was asked to work with multidisciplinary team that is a group of health care workers
who are member of discipline such as social workers. I Had keen desire to become a successful
social worker and I got an opportunity to work with multidisciplinary team. Team working was
the main skill that I loved using as I was good in this skill and team working gave number of
benefits. While working, I realized that working in a team is important as there are number of
benefits. When social workers and healthcare professionals work in a team then it improves
health of patients. When we work in a team then it increases our knowledge. When I worked
with multidisciplinary team then I came to know that social workers play a vital role in
improving health of people. Being a part of social care, it is a necessity for satisfying needs of
clients, we require having an ability to communicate, empathy skills by which we can feel the
pain of our clients. With self evaluation, I found that I am good in team working and oral
communication skill. These skills can be beneficial in getting an employment opportunity in the
future in my desired field. Communication is the main key of working effectively in
multidisciplinary team as it provides clear, sufficient and accurate information to all (Bass,
Fenwick and Sidebotham, 2017). Accurate and clear communication among team members helps
us out in making decision with effectiveness. It increases our decision-making as well as
problem solving skill. Along with these advantages, there are some barriers that might create
problems when we work in multidisciplinary team as a part of social care. One of the main
barriers that might occur and I experienced while working in multidisciplinary team was: lack of
trust among team members. Uncertainty and different position of health care professionals can
also create some problems that may affect decision making process. Overall, on the basis of this
incidence and working in multidisciplinary team, I can say that having communication and
decision making skill is vital and I am good in these both skills. It can help me out in the future
in developing my career.
4

Feeling: After discussing incidents and experience, I want to share my own feelings of that
experience. I believe that by sharing our feelings and self evaluation, we can know more about
us. It helps us out in knowing both of our areas in which we are good and in which we are
lacking behind. When I was given an opportunity to work with multidisciplinary team then I got
to know about roles and responsibilities of health and social care. When we work as a social
worker then our main priority is helping out people who are in need. Improving health of people
and satisfying needs of clients is important. When I worked with this team then I found that
providing safe working environment to people is important for improving health of people. First
happiness is our health. As I have learned about importance of working with safety measurement
and this knowledge as well as education also helped me out. When we are healthy and fit then
we can do anything and can work under pressure as well. In learning activities and modules, we
were taught about effective ways to communicate with others. Some skills that social workers
need to have for working their job roles include: communication, team working, empathy,
decision making, problem solving, numeracy, data management and others. Some main roles that
social workers need to perform include: providing safe environment, providing qualitative
services, making an effective treatment plan and others (Pianta and et.al., 2017). When I worked
with this team then I came to know that I am lacking behind in an ability to make an effective
plan. My tutors helped me out in improving skills that can make me able in making an effective
plan. For qualitative services, we all need to work with our clients with effectiveness and we all
need to have communication skill. In social care when we communicate and interact with each
others in an effective manner then it improves our relations with others. Improved relations with
our clients and peers boost our confidence and make us able to work in different situations. It
makes us tension free, we are more likely to work with refreshed mind. I also came to know that
for continuous professional development, we need to participate in different learning activities
and need to take all opportunities. It boosts our confidence and can help us out in the future in
becoming successful in our profession. Becoming successful in the future is important and it
relies on learning activities in which we get engage. Engagement in learning activities increases
our knowledge and develops us professionally. As a part of social care, It makes us able to know
about others and market trends and having knowledge of market trends is important for
becoming successful in the future as professional. Communication skill helped me out in
continuous professional development. But I was lacking behind in technical and flexibility.
5

Having an ability to adapt new things is important. Flexibility makes us tension and stressed free
at workplace. Living a healthy and tension free life is important and it can be done when we are
able to adapt changes and working accordingly. This ability is required for career development
because there are number of external environmental factors. Changes may happen in such factors
any time and according to changes, we need to change our working style and by adapting
changes in an effective manner, we can perform job roles without getting affected.
Evaluation: I want to evaluate my experience in critical manner in order to know in which
areas, I need to improve myself. It will help me out in knowing my strengths in order to
accomplish goals and career development. I am studying social care, I have shared my feelings
of my experience and incidents that happened with me in college. When I participated in group
discussion then I came to know that communication is the main key of becoming successful.
Communication skill let other people know about our strengths that improve our image. When
we interact and talk with confidence then people listen us and it makes us feel valued. It was the
good thing of my experience and it all happened only because of my communication skill. After
that I was given an opportunity to work with multidisciplinary team then I came to know that
having an ability to work in a team is important. When we work in a team rather working
individually then we learn new things. In social care, it improves our relations with team
members and improved relations make easier for us to work with effectiveness. It helps us out in
performing job roles and becoming successful in the future. It all happens when we evaluate our
self and focus on continuous professional development. When I worked with multidisciplinary
team then I came to know that I am good in team working. I helped social workers and health
care professionals in improving decision making process and solving critical problems (White
and et.al., 2018). Communication and team working both made us able in agreeing on one
mutual decision and solving all problems related to client. But lack of planning and numeracy
skill created some problems. It was the bad part of experience from which also I learned some
things.
I learned an effective way of gathering information and managing them by making use of
technology. Team members helped me out in increasing this skill as they guided me. I learned
that we all have some weaknesses and by striving hard on those skills as well as participating in
learning activities, we can accomplish our goals by increasing skills. On the basis of incidents
and my experience, I can also say that different people have different ways of communicating
6

and reacting towards action. These different styles and perceptions might create some problems
when we work in a team. It gave me the feeling that I can perform future job role in an effective
manner and I have become better version of me. For solving such problems, we need to have a
leader who can guide us in a right direction. Some skills that are required for becoming a
successful leader and continuous professional development include: integrity, communication,
team working, decision making, coaching, marketing, presentation, management and others.
Leader implements his style of leading as per the situation and by working in a team, I came to
know that working as per the current situations and adapting changing situation is important for
all of us. It helps us out in being refreshed at workplace (Omura and et.al., 2017). With energetic
and refreshed mind, we can improve quality of services that can boost our confidence and can
lead us towards improved performance. Overall, I can say that I learned a lot by engaging myself
in learning activities. This experience will help me out in the future. It will develop my career
and can make me able in working as a social worker and in multidisciplinary team with
effectiveness.
Analysis
The lesson that I have learnt from my surroundings is that I will have to open up at
regular intervals of time such that I will get to understand the prospects that I will have to inherit.
Professional development is as important as any other speculation and therefore the group
discussion has helped me to move ahead with all the strategies that I will have to inculcate
(Adeani and et.al, 2020). Since I am studying social care I have to go through group discussion I
have learnt the possibilities as well as the measures that I have to be incorporated in order to deal
with the professional development. Communication is the root cause of everything and group
discussion has brought about the necessary changes that I will have to inculcate and learning
activities has modified every circumstance. Taking opportunity to get communicated with the
entire team has improved the set of new ideology and that has evolved my entire being into
professional orientation. Today I have succeeded in bringing about the requirement of decision
making skills in order to move ahead with the professional development in an effective manner
with the required knowledge that has been gained through. It is as important as any other
speculation because in the working atmosphere the improvement can only be made in terms of
communication skills. In order to grow more individually I have learnt that relations are an
7

important criteria. This relationship can only be gratified with the right amount of skill and that
is the communication skills. The group discussion has portrayed upon various goals as well as it
has brought about new set of strengths that are oriented. It has also brought about an effective
engagement as well as learning activities that has improved overall performance of my
professional entity (Markkanen and et.al, 2020). The unique formulations like that of marketing
presentation management and many other activities that are associated with the kind of
implementation that are to be made are being analysed and I have known the activities of further
growth.
Conclusion
As a part of conclusion it can be brought together under ordinary circumstances where I
have improved every knowledge that is necessary for me to uplift my professional development.
This has helped me a lot in conquering my fears regarding the prospect of dealing with
communication and that has been portrayed about various opportunities that are in my regard. I
kept hearing regarding things that are on my way which are necessarily into communicating with
people. This interaction with people has employed the sense of understanding and I have
developed the courage to move ahead which is one of the necessary trade to be portrayed upon.
Professional development is necessary for people who are willing to chase dreams and for a
person like me it is also as important as any other factor. Therefore, inculcating all the choices
that are required for my growth I have concluded upon being the most out of everything in order
to deal with my personifications.
Action plan
The action plan in this regard is to put up on things that will have to be maintained on a
future basis. Action plan is necessary because a person or an individual cannot move a head out
of the track bringing all the necessary adaptation set are important to survive. The action plan
that is oriented with this particular reflection will portray upon following components:
Consistency: consistency is one of the favourable entity that will have to be imbibed in
two circumstances of dealing with any kind of action plan (Sekarwinahyu and et.al, 2019).
Consistency will have to be maintained at all levels of dealing with the things like that of
learning as well as implementation process because it is not until when a person maintain
consistency that he or she will get to understand the process that they will have to move ahead.
8

By practicing communication skills, it is also necessary that I will have to interact with people all
around such that my fear of dealing with circumstances can be twin over.
Learning: learning will drive away every fear that is necessary for people to stand
unique and other circumstances that will help to imbibe or portray upon situations to bring about
ones own fears into things that will never go in vain. Professional development is one of the
favourable entity that will portray upon learning skills as well as that which can bring about all
the related reflections that are happening around (Tawanwongsri and Phenwan, 2019). Learning
from the drawbacks it is also necessary that they will have to be known better next time. Things
are differently planned for future and therefore it is also important that learning as per it will
have to inculcate all the standard that are necessary for professional development.
Information gathering: information is as important as a kind of research that will have to
be portrayed. The action plan will have to bring about this criterion such that the necessary
information that will have to be invited by an individual can therefore be gratified. There are
certain goals as well as the objective that are in regard to future actions as well as plants that are
to be enhanced and initiated. Without probable initiation and individual cannot move ahead. In
my regard I have initiated the policy of getting into a group discussion and treasure in the depths
of time such that I got to understand communication is a major cause and that will have to be
developed at all times possible (Dhaliwal and et.al, 2018). By the onset of this scale i have kept
learning and i have implemented strategies that has helped me to overcome my fear.
CONCLUSION
It has been concluded from above reflective study that continuous professional development
plays a vital role as it helps us out in becoming successful in our selected field. Continuous
professional development increases our skills and knowledge regarding our job role and desired
field. In this reflective study, I will share my feelings of experience of learning activities that
boosted my confidence and made me able in becoming successful. Self evaluation and reflection
helps us out in knowing our strengths and weaknesses. On the basis of this evaluation, we can
develop our career and can increase our skills and knowledge as well. It has also discussed roles
of social workers along with importance of team working.
9

10

REFERENCES
Books and journals
Adeani and et.al, 2020. USING GIBBS’REFLECTIVE CYCLE IN MAKING REFLECTIONS
OF LITERARY ANALYSIS. Indonesian EFL Journal. 6(2). pp.139-148.
Bass, J., Fenwick, J. and Sidebotham, M., 2017. Development of a model of holistic reflection to
facilitate transformative learning in student midwives. Women and Birth. 30(3). pp.227-
235.
Dhaliwal and et.al, 2018. Reflective student narratives: honing professionalism and empathy.
Indian J Med Ethics. 3(1). pp.9-15.
García, E. and Weiss, E., 2019. The Role of Early Career Supports, Continuous Professional
Development, and Learning Communities in the Teacher Shortage. The Fifth Report
in'The Perfect Storm in the Teacher Labor Market'Series. Economic Policy Institute.
Markkanen and et.al, 2020. A reflective cycle: Understanding challenging situations in a school
setting. Educational Research. 62(1). pp.46-62.
McComb, V. and Eather, N., 2017. Exploring the Personal, Social and Occupational Elements of
Teacher Professional Development. Journal of education and Training Studies. 5(12).
pp.60-66.
Omura, M. and et.al., 2017. The effectiveness of assertiveness communication training programs
for healthcare professionals and students: A systematic review. International journal of
nursing studies. 76. pp.120-128.
Pianta, R. and et.al., 2017. Early childhood professional development: Coaching and coursework
effects on indicators of children’s school readiness. Early Education and
Development. 28(8). pp.956-975.
Sekarwinahyu and et.al, 2019, February. Development of problem based learning for online
tutorial program in plant development using Gibbs’ reflective cycle and e-portfolio to
enhance reflective thinking skills. In Journal of Physics: Conference Series (Vol. 1157, No.
2, p. 022099). IOP Publishing.
Tawanwongsri and Phenwan, 2019. Reflective and feedback performances on Thai medical
students’ patient history-taking skills. BMC medical education. 19(1). pp.1-8.
White, A.A. and et.al., 2018. Self-awareness and cultural identity as an effort to reduce bias in
medicine. Journal of racial and ethnic health disparities. 5(1). pp.34-49.
11

APPENDIX
My career timeline
In regard to this and on the basis of self-evaluation, experience and timeline, I can say
that it increased my knowledge to the great extent. My career goal is to become an effective
marketing manager and I believe that this experience and learning from university can help me
out in accomplishing this goal. I just want to make my company ad employees able by which
they can perform functions in adverse situations. Due to environmental changes and covid-19,
people are facing number of problems so; the main thing that I want to achieve or want to make
difference is making people flexible. Leadership and management are main 2 pillars and by
becoming marketing manager I want to experience roles and effectiveness of manager within
business. I believe that communication, team working and decision making skills that I increased
with learning a while studying in university can help me out in the future to the great extent.
12