Some tips and guidance for your 2026 professional development checklist
A very Happy New Year to all our general practice nursing colleagues across the country.
We want to start 2026 by acknowledging the incredible work you are doing daily at the heart of community-based healthcare. We understand the demand on general practice to manage additional winter surges, along with the continuous need to maintain services in screening, immunisations, and chronic disease management; all the while meeting sundry patient care needs as they present.
During New Year, most of us aim to reset, renew, or recharge, and it can also be an opportune time for a review of our professional lives.
In general practice we can sometimes be removed from nursing leadership and management, leaving general practice nurses (GPNs) individually responsible for developing and maintaining competence to ensure our skills match the evolving needs of our patients.
Being a ‘competent’ nurse is not a static achievement; it is a continuous journey throughout our professional lives – no matter how familiar the practice setting,
This can also be a great time of year to review the standards, guidelines, and legislation that underpin a nurse’s professional practice, accountability, and commitment to compassionate patient care.
When logging on to the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI) website www.nmbi.ie to renew your registrations, it can be a good time to check out the standards and guidance pages, including the new Code of Professional Conduct and Ethics, and remind ourselves of what good practice by registered nurses and registered midwives looks like.
The Code is substantially different to the previous edition, and all registered nurses and midwives must commit to upholding the six principles of respect, accountability, competence, trust, collaboration, and leadership.
Here are some suggestions for your 2026 professional checklist
Before the January rush sets in, take 20 minutes to look at your basic requirements
Is your BLS (basic life support) certification up to date or due to expire soon? Have you a plan to access training?
The same applies to anaphylaxis management – do you need your two-yearly online update? What about CervicalCheck – have you completed your required updates? Have you looked at HSELanD recently? Have you updated your profile so that you can access the catalogues appropriate to general practice?
If you need instructions, contact your nearest professional development coordinator (PDC) for GPNs. Have a wander through all the catalogues and the hubs; you may be surprised what programmes are available online that will be useful in updating your knowledge.
The Enhanced Community Care hub, in particular, hosts a huge amount of information in relation to integrated care and the support of your patients living with chronic disease.
Sign up for the PDC monthly webinar series that take place at lunchtimes on the second-last Friday of each month. These hour-long webinars are delivered by a diverse range of notable experts and feature topics of huge interest and value to GPNs.
Start the portfolio process
Developing a continuing professional development (CPD) portfolio helps nurses to track and document their learning and accomplishments over time, effectively providing evidence of achievements, competencies, and areas of expertise. In advance of the NMBI professional competence scheme, its website includes information on the current pilot scheme, which will be evaluated this year before being rolled out further in 2027. Beginning the process of planning and recording professional development activities will mean being a step ahead when the process begins formally.
Other CPD options include clinical workshops (especially with improved access to the centres for nurse and midwifery education), conferences, study days, research, journal subscriptions, and reflective practice.
Examine service need
There is little point in upskilling in a specific area such as dermatology if, for example, there are other practitioners in your service who already provide those services for patients. Sit down with colleagues and talk about where there are gaps or opportunities in the practice.
Would your patient population benefit from you having additional proficiency in women’s healthcare? Is there a demand for sexual health clinics? Do you have an interest in chronic disease management and have an interest in upskilling to manage more of that in practice?
Your PDCs are here to help you navigate your educational path. Whether you are looking for a specific course, want help developing a portfolio, or just want to discuss your career trajectory, your PDCs will be glad to advise. Let’s make 2026 a year of clinical excellence, professional pride, and, most importantly, supported learning.
Wishing you a healthy, happy, and fulfilling year ahead.
Contact Details for PDCs
Marie Courtney
marie.courtney@99999
086 787 2408
CHO 4 Cork, Kerry
Marie Cantwell
marie.cantwell@99999
087 607 8925
CHO 9 Dublin North City and County
Kathy Taaffe
kathy.taaffe@99999
087 132 1424
CHO 1 Sligo, Leitrim, Cavan, Monaghan, Donegal
Elizabeth Carroll
elizabeth.carroll2@hse.ie 087 491 2159
CHO 5 Carlow, Kilkenny, Wexford, Waterford, South Tipperary
Mairead Murphy
mairead.murphy11@hse.ie
087 120 6184
CHO 2 Galway, Roscommon, Mayo
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