For every activity, keep
- The certificate, as a PDF, named with the date first so files sort in order.
- What it covered. The learning outcomes or a short description.
- Hours claimed and the date completed.
- Your reflection. Two or three sentences on what you learned and what you will do with it.
- Why you chose it. One line linking it to your role or your learning plan.
Keep a running log
A single spreadsheet with one row per activity is enough: date, title, provider, hours, relevance, reflection. Nursing regulators in both Australia and New Zealand describe written records along these lines, and New Zealand lawyers are required to keep a written CPD plan and record.
A single spreadsheet with one row per activity is enough.
How long to keep it
Follow your regulator's guidance. Where none is given, keeping records for at least five years is a safe habit, and longer if your regulator assesses CPD over a multi-year window.
Before you pay for a course
Check that the certificate will give you a date, a number of hours and a certificate number. If the provider carries a verification mark, click it and confirm the activity is listed and in date.
Sources: NMBA; Nursing Council of New Zealand; New Zealand Law Society. Checked 05 October 2026.
