The process of acquiring education continues even after you get employed, and professionals pursue further academic progress to advance their respective careers and improve their efficiency. Certain occupations require individuals to embark on professional development journeys if they wish to maintain their licenses. And continuing education is the measure used to assess the extent of a person’s development. So, healthcare practitioners need these continuing education units/credits (CEUs/CECs) to retain their NHA certificates. Participation in a continuing education program can provide a healthcare professional with some valuable employment incentives. So, let’s review some of these perks now.
Benefits of professional development with CECs
1. Be up-to-date in your career:
The healthcare profession depends on the nature of progress the medical science makes. You may think we’re exaggerating, but every year, scientists publish 2.5 million new research papers. Healthcare practitioners must stay current with this surge of further information. There’s no knowing when your medical school expertise starts getting old-fashioned and your scientific know-how immaterial. Continuing education programs refresh your medical mindset. So, you don’t forget what you already know and stay relevant to the nursing field’s latest developments. Knowledge updates are the best perks of CECs, but there still are more incentives to show here.
2. More employment opportunities:
The healthcare industry is rapidly changing with the arrival of better sciences and more advanced technologies. In this digital age, candidates must possess more than a mere graduation certificate as their qualification. There are over 3.8 million registered nurses (RNs) in the United States right now. Therefore, continuous education is essential for healthcare practitioners to improve their marketability as professionals. Individuals wishing to acquire a terminal degree in nursing often prefer research-focused doctorate programs. Higher academic qualifications and continuing education credits elevate an employer’s opinion of you over non-accredited candidates.
3. ‘You may keep your license’:
Getting high-salary employment is just the first step in your career-making journey. The next step is to work to maintain this job. You need CECs if you wish to retain your medical license and keep your nursing practice. Some states even oblige RNs to complete the required continuing education hours. Failure to acquire the necessary credits can lead to a nurse losing his/her license. For instance, if you have a RAC-CT certificate, you need 25 CECs every 24 months to maintain it. These credits will validate your certification and mark you eligible for your job. But this sounds more like a critical responsibility than a bonus. So, let’s get back to talking about perks and incentives.
4. You get paid more in your job:
With better employment options, you get an improved pay scale. We’ve seen an 800% boost in DNP programs in the last 13 years. The number of students enrolled in these courses increased by 15% between 2016 and 2017. Along with that, the number of graduates also witnessed a 25.44% enhancement. Therefore, even a doctor’s degree in healthcare won’t seriously diminish the competition you’ll face as a job candidate.
Getting involved in CE programs make you eligible for high-paying positions in the field of nursing. These CEUs will get marked as an extra qualification in your resume. Continuing education will grant you high scores in employee evaluations.
5. Provide better patient care:
Also, the best perk of finishing your CE courses is the capability of providing better patient care. By applying the rules you’ve studied, you can give your patients the best medical services there are to offer. You may call CE a vehicle that spreads the most excellent healthcare practices and improves remedial outcomes. You learn about the newest medicines, technologies, and healthcare protocols in CE classes. This knowledge contributes to your career as a better nurse. That’s how continuing education sessions make you well-equipped for your job. Since the education you’ll receive has already been tested and approved.
6. Grow as a person and a professional:
Completing CE credit hours shows your commitment to your job and dedication to the career. One cannot underestimate the importance of continued education. It helps you advance in your career and also grow as a person. Continued education lets you expand your expertise in relevant areas of study, opening new career development gateways. You will get a chance to evaluate your strengths and weaknesses. Continuing education programs enhance your confidence and let you bolster your soft skills. CEUs have a positive impact on how your colleagues perceive you and your employers assess your professionalism. Also, they provide you with attractive topics to study:
7. Improve your skills and qualities:
And, of course, all this study material will have a positive impact on your professional capabilities. You will become a source of knowledge and information for your colleagues. Your expertise will help you gain a competitive advantage over your co-workers. These skills make you a better nurse. The entire idea of CEUs became critical to the healthcare industry in the ’70s. With ongoing progress in medical science, continuing education has become more than necessary for modern-day healthcare professionals. If you think finishing your required courses is difficult, try online study options. E-learning allows you to complete CE requirements without any usual hassle involved.
8. E-learning is your golden chance:
The coronavirus pandemic brought new life into the trend of distant learning and digital education. So, healthcare practitioners can avail of e-learning opportunities available in 2021 for career advancement. Online pedagogy has disturbed students’ schedules as they didn’t get accustomed to a digital format in education. But adults can find e-learning options an incredible convenience that allows them to acquire knowledge without stress. Furthermore, it would help if you spent less and travel even less for such academic programs. No wonder e-learning increases student retention rates as they can learn more by investing fewer hours in a digital school.
9. Diverse subjects to study:
You might’ve thought that CE courses are dull and boring. Contrary to this misconception, continuing education programs allow you the freedom of selecting your subjects. These courses prefer various topics to pick from, and you can acquire whatever subject you find interesting or relevant. These courses cover a wide range of knowledgeable matters a nurse needs to excel in his/her career. Here are some examples of topics you can study in a CE program:
- Patient Safety
- Medical-Surgical
- Neurology
- Vascular Access
- Maternal-Newborn
- Occupational Health
- Physical Assessment
- Infection Control
- Pediatrics
- Leadership & Communication
Conclusion
Humankind has exponentially increased the speed of its scientific progress after the Industrial Revolution. In the marathon of technology, each profession encounters changes with continuous research work by scientific minds. Therefore, professionals need to keep up with this development if they wish to survive in their occupations. Healthcare practitioners’ involvement in continuing education programs determines their capacity for improvement. As per the IACET, if you spend 10 hours in these training sessions grants you a single CE unit. These sessions don’t just allow you to sharpen your skills. But also enable you to keep your certificate and quickly advance in the healthcare industry.
