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Never Stop Learning

The healthcare industry is dynamic. It is constantly changing and advancing. And in today’s internet-savvy world where information is readily available to anyone who wants it, consumers/patients are more educated than ever on the latest clinical breakthroughs. In return, they are demanding more from those people licensed or registered in their profession.

As an RN, it is your responsibility to stay up to date on the latest clinical developments. This is not only necessary; it is crucial to your career. Consequently, continuing education has emerged as the principal way healthcare professionals demonstrate their commitment to remaining current and skilled. In fact, according to the National Council of the State Boards of Nursing, the three most common mechanisms for measuring competence are continuing education, refresher courses and minimum practice requirements.1

An interesting way of thinking about continuing education is that there is a good chance at some point in our lives we will be sick or in need of medical attention. At that time wouldn’t you want to be treated by a nurse who is at the top of her game? Of course you would. That’s why it is so important for nurses to never stop learning and it’s the reason many statewide governing boards have responded with mandates of continuing education.

The one issue that arises when it comes to mandatory CEs issued by the state is consistency — there is none. There is great disparity on licensing requirements when it comes to state boards. Some states require a certain amount of contact hours every renewal period with a designated number of the hours being spent in specific areas like HIV/AIDS and Domestic Violence. For example, Massachusetts’ nurses need 15 contact hours of CE credits to renew their licenses. A contact hour is equal to 50 minutes of attendance and participation in a program that meets the Board’s requirements for CE credits. Acceptable types of CE programs include lectures, workshops, academic courses, planned, supervised clinical experiences, home study courses and Web-based programs. 2 Other states, including Maryland, do not require any hours towards Continuing Education. Finding out the requirements in the state you’re working in is your responsibility.

In addition to CE requirements, nurses also have to worry about keeping certain licenses and certificates current, such as Basic Life Support, Advanced Cardiac Life Support and CPR, just to name a few. These types of certifications usually require some type of refresher course.

Refresher courses also serve other purposes. Nurses who have been away from the field for a while can use refresher courses to bring their skills up to speed and gain the confidence needed to return to the bedside. It is actually a requirement of some state Boards of Nursing that a nurse whose license has gone inactive must take a minimum amount of training before reactivating his or her license. The reason being, returning nurses must adjust to changes in technology and equipment, a vast array of new medications, higher patient insights, and to a certain degree, greater leadership functions. But what nurses have to realize is that although healthcare changes continuously, patients do not. Refresher courses update knowledge and help nurses sharpen their clinical skills. A patient needs compassion, trust and comfort, these are qualities that could never be taught in any classroom, but fortunately, they are also qualities that nurses never lose.

Continuing education has taking on a life of its own in the nursing world. What started out as a process for highly motivated professionals to excel in their career, has become a real mechanism for measuring competence. The bottom line is this: Nursing is a knowledge-based profession, and maintaining clinical competency requires participation in lifelong learning activities. But the results are worth it — confidence and knowledge!

1. Full study can be found at www.ncsbn.org.
2. Board of Registration in Massachusetts website. Continuing Education Regulations at 244 CMR 5.00 Information Sheet. Available at http://www.state.ma.us/reg/home.htm. Accessed: September 30, 2003.