10 reasons to continue your nursing education

NURSING MADE EASY

10 reasons to continue your nursing education

Learning about the reasons to continue your nursing education and strategies you can use during this process can help you maintain your credentials or pursue a promotion through additional nursing education.

Nursing can be a rewarding career for individuals who enjoy helping others and working collaboratively. It's also a great career for those who enjoy continuous learning, as there are many opportunities to learn and advance your career as a nurse.

Continuing education in nursing:

Continuing education in nursing serves to enhance the quality of nursing practice, administration, education or research to benefit nurses themselves, the patients they serve, their employers and the general public. It represents exposure to nursing programs beyond those necessary for basic preparation. It also offers an opportunity for registered nurses to build upon their education and experience and develop their abilities and knowledge throughout their careers.

One continuing education unit equals 10 hours of instruction. Medical facilities can also require nurses to complete specific courses to validate their clinical expertise. Many nurses can advance their careers through continuing education and explore new specialties, such as nursing leadership, forensic nursing, and advanced titles, such as:

• Nurse practitioner
• Certified nurse midwife
• Nurse educator
• Certified registered nurse anesthetist
• Clinical nurse specialist

The importance of CE in nursing Continuing education in nursing benefits the health care industry as a whole and is an important element of a nursing career for several reasons: 

1. It helps you stay updated on current industry trends. The health care industry and consequently the field of nursing is constantly evolving, developing and improving. Continuing your nursing education is the best way you can stay abreast with the latest trends, especially in the specific domains and specialties of your interest.
2. It helps you strengthen your existing clinical skills. Continuing your nursing education gives you an opportunity to review your existing health care knowledge and improve your nursing skills, which can allow you to update your protocols to align with the best practices for the duties you perform regularly.
3. It helps you maintain your nursing credentials. One of the top reasons to continue your nursing education is to maintain your nursing credentials, and license, which can allow you to continue to practice as a nurse in a clinical setting.
4. It increases personal satisfaction and that of patients and employers. Knowing that your employers encourage you to pursue continuing education can increase your job satisfaction, which can lead you to deliver your best care to patients, which in turn can benefit your employers as it positions them as a trusted health care establishment.
5. It helps you learn new clinical skills. Medicine is constantly changing with new discoveries. Fulfilling continuing education requirements can help you learn additional clinical skills and better nursing practices, such as new procedures, which can enhance your professional competence and help you better perform your existing job duties.
6. It makes it easier to adapt to technological advances in the industry. Continuing education can allow nurses to learn about changes in the health care industry, such as advances in medical technology, which can help you provide patients with the best care available.
7. It helps you learn about new treatment regimens. Newer medications and treatments constantly enter the market and continuing your nursing education gives you an opportunity to learn about new treatment strategies or new indications for existing treatments.
8. It can reduce legal risks to you and your employer. Continuing your nursing education in accordance with state laws can help you avoid putting yourself and your employer at risk of violating health care laws, which may help you perform your job duties with greater confidence and assurance.
9. It helps to increase the quality of care patients receive. Continuing your nursing education equips you with the knowledge and skills necessary to provide a better quality of care to patients.
10. It recognizes you as a trusted resource among peers. Continuing your nursing education enables you to learn more and advance your knowledge, which can position you as a trusted resource and leader in your field. You can thus serve as a role model to those new to the field, which can strengthen your position at your workplace.