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Professional Development in Nursing: Good For Everyone
Beth
Ulrich, EdD, RN, CHE
IWhile
there have been many negative side effects of the current nursing
shortage, there have also been some positive results as well. One of
the main successes of the shortage has been the increasing
opportunities for nurses to pursue professional development. Going back
to school is one way for nurses to improve practice and continuing
education and certification is another. Formal Education
When I began nursing school, the college I attended was just
transitioning from being a diploma program to offering the 4-year
bachelor’s degree. Members of the class before mine got to choose
whether they wanted to graduate in 3 years with a diploma or go for 1
additional year to obtain a bachelor’s degree. Many, ready to get on
with their lives and knowing the proud tradition and practice of the
diploma graduating classes before them, took the first option. It was
only later, when some decided they wanted to obtain a bachelor’s
degree, that they learned how much that decision had cost them. Instead
of needing to go 1 more year, they then had to go several years to meet
the requirements.
My
school was not unusual. Most schools wouldn’t accept transfer credits
and, event those that did, took very few. The prevailing view of each
school seemed to be that no one else taught what they taught in the way
they taught it. As a result, they were very rigid in their demands for
student requirements. Many RNs from both diploma and associate degree
programs chose to not continue their educations rather than face the
course requirements which generally had to be taken in a specific order
with most courses only being offered once a year.
The
RN to BSN programs offered the first signs of flexibility. Then came
online classes. It was a major paradigm shift to believe that not every
student had to sit in a physical classroom every week in order to
learn. The shift was not without its problems. Teaching online courses
sounded easier to many faculty at first, but online teaching is hard in
a number of ways for both students and faculty. As the demand for
nurses began to increase at an alarming rate, hospitals and schools
began to partner at a level that hadn’t been seen since both were part
of the same organization back when hospitals owned the diploma schools.
We
have now reached a time when there are many ways to obtain additional
formal education. There are both full-time and part-time programs;
courses for which you sit in class, others you take on the internet,
and some you download to your iPod. Some students start with a high
school diploma, and some already have a degree in something else. There
are even new degrees such as the Doctorate of Nursing Practice (DNP).
Hospitals and other health care organizations are offering incentives
for their staff to obtain additional formal education by providing
tuition reimbursement and flexible schedules. There is no longer a lack
of options for formal education, regardless of what you want and need
or what other demands you have on your life.
Continuing Education
The
other way to develop professionally is through continuing education.
Before this nursing shortage, most employers took the position that
continuing education was the nurse’s responsibility and offered only
minimal assistance. Now, there is an understanding that continuing
education benefits the nurse, the patients, and the organization. Many
employers offer free CE, in person and online, for all of their nurses
whether or not they are located in a state that requires mandatory CE
for license renewal.
Certification
Organizations are also increasingly being supportive of certification.
Research has shown that certified nurses have more confidence,
competence, credibility, and control and commit fewer errors. Professional Development Is Good For Everyone
In this issue of Nephrology Nursing Journal, we launch the second
edition of ANNA’s professional development guide, Career Fulfillment in
Nephrology Nursing: Your Guide to Professional Development. The first
edition, published in 1993, provided information on the concepts of
professional development. In this latest edition, you will find a lot
of information on how to chart your own career and how to develop as a
nurse. The content will also help you to discover all the career
options that are available to you.
When
you choose to pursue professional development – whether through formal
education, continuing education, or certification – you find career
fulfillment for yourself and you improve the care and outcomes for your
patients. Professional development is good for everyone and it’s a
win-win all the way.
Beth Ulrich, EdD, RN, CHE
Editor
E-mail: BethUlrich@aol.com
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