You have earned your nursing licensure; what’s next? Nurses must undertake CE (continuing education) coursework throughout their careers, including as APRNs (advanced practice registered nurses). CE equips nurses with the relevant skills to keep up with emerging trends. This includes new healthcare procedures, technologies, and policies. Brushing up your skills enhances efficiency, but is that all you should do?
Nurses are at the heart of the healthcare industry. Their contributions impact healthcare’s transformation as they are at the forefront. Apart from the basic education and meeting CE requirements, nurses are urged to advance their education to boost effectiveness. For instance, a degree-level education equips a nurse with the skills to;
- Deliver high-quality care
- Take a leading role
- Help inform, design, and improve the policy development process
Nursing is a lifelong learning arena. As a nurse, advancing your education plays a significant role, not just considering career growth and improved income. Among the top reasons nurses are encouraged to increase their education include:
Focus on patient care
Advancing your profession and patient care skills improves the overall healthcare industry. Nurses provide affordable and accessible care to patients compared to physicians. For example, in rural areas, where hospitals aren’t accessible, people rely more on nurses. While basic nursing education equips you with skills to navigate certain needs, it doesn’t offer much quality.
You are at the front line, and with advanced education, you can provide care that eliminates the need for a patient to visit a hospital. This includes educating society on healthcare issues that eliminate the need for intensive care down the line. Increasing nursing education with a focus on patient care transforms the healthcare industry. It makes it more accessible, efficient, and effective. This ensures that society has what it needs to thrive.
Keep up with technology
Telehealth is no longer a futuristic aspect. Today, patients can access health care attention at the comfort of their homes or offices and without nurse visits. Remote solutions have taken the world by storm, further propelled by the Covid-19 global pandemic. The best part is that keeping up with tech advancement also makes nursing education more accessible. You can take online nursing education, meaning that your schedule won’t take a significant hit as you strive to advance your skills.
Tech is integral in the modern healthcare landscape. Many tech solutions from a decade ago are obsolete in the modern arena. The rapid advancements provide efficient solutions, and without the right skills and exposure, you will hardly keep up. You need to stay up to date on the lab tests, information transmission, communication, and many gadgets. What’s more, with concerns such as HIPAA, you need to be well informed to deliver quality services while ensuring that your operations are in adherence with the policies.
Inform healthcare transformations
While studying, you would hardly think that nursing techniques would ever change. For example, you know how to administer an injection, but the techniques aren’t set in stone. You may be following outdated information, as the healthcare industry is on an ever-evolving mode. For instance, the injection might have been deemed unsafe as it is seen to be close to a nerve. With the increased nursing education, you can keep up with the medical evolutions. This means that you employ updated practices. You also get a chance to inform the changes.
As you advance your skills, you will be positioned at a point where you can make valuable contributions. Research and healthcare go hand in hand. This is not just about new health threats but also in policies and techniques that help make the industry efficient. With increasing education, nurses can contribute and inform the reforms. This is especially considering how such changes affect their work. Taking the lead helps nurses improve their operations as they are the most affected by the healthcare transformations.
Fast-track your career
Where do you see your nursing career standing in the next five years? You don’t want to be stuck in the same spot, earning the same income as you did with your entry-level job. As a nurse, there is no shortcut to promotion. You need hands-on experience and skills to scale the ladder. Continuing education provides the exposure required to scale up your nursing career to the next level. You have a lot to pursue, as you can work in virtually any environment and many capacities. You can start and run an independent practice to become a leader or educator, to mention a few. With online nursing education, you can fast-track your career, allowing you to realize your goals and objectives.
The healthcare and medicine arena is continually evolving. As a nurse, you need evidence-based practice skills to deliver the best services. While CE equips you with such skills, advancing your education can’t be discounted. You will be better positioned with a Master’s than a bachelor’s degree in nursing. It is not just because of the title; it is the skills accumulated.
