The Annual QA cycle involves three main components. During registration renewal, nurses complete a
self-assessment of their practice. Once they have renewed their registration, they are required to seek
peer feedback on their nursing practice, and create a professional development plan, that includes at least two learning goals, and activities to achieve those goals.
Throughout the year, nurses are
evaluating the impact of
their learning on their practice. This is the annual QA cycle for all nurses in B.C. All nurses who hold practising registration—even if they are not working—must meet these annual requirements.
At registration renewal
What should nurses do before registration renewal?
To prepare for registration renewal, we recommend nurses review the
professional standards relevant to their designation, and then the self-assessment questionnaire relevant to their practice.
Nurses answer these self-assessment questions as part of their registration renewal—right in the renewal form, in fact—but many nurses find it helpful to review the questions in advance, reflect on their practice, and where they'd like to focus their professional development for next year. Nurses, as part of meeting their annual quality assurance requirements, should also have sought peer feedback on their practice and developed and evaluated a PD plan.
Do nurses have to submit anything to BCCNM?
No. Nurses report the information BCCNM needs during registration renewal, so they don't need to worry about sending or submitting anything to the college.
Nurses must keep records of your QA activities (i.e., peer feedback you receive, professional development plans), should BCCNM ask to see them in the future (see below).
What happens after nurses renew their registration?
Once nurses have renewed their registration, they can begin their QA activities for the upcoming year. Using their self-assessment as a guide, they seek feedback from peers and colleagues.
They'll then create a professional development plan, considering the areas they identified for improvement from their self-assessment and peer feedback.
During registration renewal 2023, all nurses will complete a self-assessment questionnaire based on their Professional Standards as part of registration renewal. At renewal, RNs will also be asked:
- In the past year, did you obtain peer feedback about your practice?
- In the past year, did you develop and implement a professional development plan based on your self-assessment and peer feedback?
- In the past year, did you evaluate the impact of the previous year's learning on your practice?