How to become a learning representative

Learning representatives help nurses to become more pro-active about pursuing continuing professional development (CPD). They do these in a number of different ways, including:

providing a professional resource for members in their workplace
knowing where to seek further expert help from within the RCN
organising seminars, workshops and study days in collaboration with the RCN & employers
assisting nurses who require support with the skills of lifelong learning - for example, information retrieval, studying, essay writing and presentation skills
supporting nurses in documenting their learning in professional portfolios and with action planning for future learning
promoting the range of CPD initiatives and learning opportunities that are relevant within the area of practice
offering information & support about educational activities supported or provided by the RCN
providing information to the RCN on the learning needs of members
liaising with employers about nurses' learning needs.

What training do they receive from the RCN?

Learning representatives will have two-days initial training which covers:

RCN structure and branches
RCN forums and specialist departments
RCN resources and resource centres
RCN services
maintaining a portfolio
organising and getting accreditation for an event
defining the role of a learning representative through a values clarification exercise.