Tuesday 26 March 2013

A Guide To Continuing Education For Nurses

By Tamra Ferrell


Regardless of which medical sector is considered, continuing education for nurses is mandatory. These further studies contribute to the advancement of nursing careers, help to facilitate the best possible care of patients and conform to nursing requirements. Other benefits include keeping up to date with medical progress as health care know how and new medical procedures are constantly evolving. Best practices essential for patient safety and well being are also a critical factor.

Nurses are regulated by a board of nursing of which continued study is a main requirement and cannot be avoided in order to comply with board regulations. This affects the ability to renew nursing license which occurs on a regular basis. Failure to complete the mandatory classes will result in non license renewal. This applies across the board irrespective of the type of nurse and the sector of specialty.

One of the paramount and crucial factors whenever medicine is discussed is the safety of patients. By requiring all nurse practitioners to be up to date on best practices, they are made aware of new innovations, amendments to previous medical procedures affecting their role and changes to medical practices. The medical profession never stands still and continued education ensures medical personnel including nursing staff are kept in the loop.

The provision of further education is marketed by a wide variety of educational organizations. Many online sites offer their services with incentives such as the ease of online classes and reasonable fees. The nursing professions character with regards to working hours is rarely just nine to five. Many nurse practitioners operate in a shift environment. The hours of work are rarely very predictable making it hard to schedule specific hours to take classes at a physical location.

One of the benefits championed by online providers is the ease at which nursing board requirements can be met due to the flexibility of online study. Studies can be done at the convenience of and within individuals' schedules. Working from the comfort of home or wherever access to a computer is possible does sound attractive to many in the profession. The ability to study at ones convenience is both very practical and hard to resist by many.

There are various levels in the nursing profession. Examples include registered nurses and licensed practical nursing staff. Each level has certain common goals such as best practices for patient care and ethical standards.The various levels do have different entry levels requirements as well as different continued education requirements.

There are a wide variety of nursing types. This can be illustrated by the varying specialties within the medical profession. Examples include anesthesia, cardiac care, intensive or critical care and dentistry. The list is extensive. Some care for individuals, others focus on families and communities. Nurses may work in the formal hospital setting or may be outreach nurses visiting homes.

Continuing education for nurses is necessary for keeping up with best medical practices, the safety of patients and is also mandatory. Non compliance will affect the ability to renew nursing license which occurs on a regular basis.




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