Continuing professional development (CPD) is vital for nurses to maintain skills, ensure safe practice and meet Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) revalidation requirements. But CPD is about more than revalidation, and research shows that having long gaps between CPD activities makes it difficult to retrieve learning in practice. A senior nursing lecturer explains why CPD should be ongoing and enhance your career development – and how employers can support this by offering resources and opportunities for growth, such as mentorship.