Skip navigation

Self-Selected Activity: Wrapping Up

Renewal period is coming soon. Here are some tips for the Self-Selected Activity and completion of your Practice Improvement Record.

Some may have already completed their Practice Improvement Record. Others may wait until they apply to renew their practice permit. You may change or update your Practice Improvement Record anytime before you submit your renewal.

Here are some reminders about the process.

The College of Physiotherapists of Alberta’s DO.LEARN.GROW’s Self-Selected Activity involves the following steps: 

  1. Complete a Self-Selected Activity between October 1 and when you renew
  2. Access your Practice Improvement Record in the Member Portal and write about your experiences in a Practice Improvement Record
  3. Submit your Practice Improvement Record when you apply to renew your practice permit

Self-Selected Activity Options

There are many options available for a Self-Selected Activity. An activity can include:

  1. Practice Monitoring such as self-assessment including test taking, third-party assessments such as performance reviews, workplace assessments, accreditation, and quality improvement projects
  2. Knowledge Gathering or Translation such as attending formally organized learning activities in-person or online or self-organized learning, and presenting of research
  3. Professional Collaboration such as supervision, volunteering, and professional group work

Choose an activity that “stretches” you, that resulted in significant, sustained, meaningful change in personal competence and patient care or the health service. Then write about it in the Practice Improvement Record.

Your completed Practice Improvement Record must: 

  • Be an authentic and meaningful representation of what you did to improve competence and enhance professional practice (patient care/work environment). 
  • Provide specific details about the activity you completed. 
  • Name resources/research used to improve practice (e.g., evidence, articles, guidelines, reports, scales, audits). 
  • Provide a thorough description of how completing the activity impacted your personal competence and impacted (or might have impacted) patient care or physiotherapy/health-care services.

When you complete your Practice Improvement Record: 

  • Write about a “stretch” activity that resulted in improved practice that you can tell a great story about (sentence form or point form acceptable). 
  • Use reporting as an opportunity to consolidate your thoughts and extend your learning. 
  • Set aside enough time to thoroughly discuss all questions posed. 
  • Answer all questions in the Practice Improvement Record providing detailed explanations on how your activity improved your competence and patient care and/or the physiotherapy/ health-care service. 
  • Consider using the Guiding Questions to prompt reflection. 
  • In your story list two or more resources to illustrate you are using current resources

If you are stuck, check out one of these eleven examples of real stories from real physiotherapists.

Need more information about the entire process? Check out this newly developed presentation on the Self-Selected Activity.

Questions? Comments? Advice? Participation Issues? Contact the Continuing Competence Program at: 1 800 291 2782 X359 or 780 702 5349 or competence@cpta.ab.ca

Page updated: 15/11/2023