Some nurses assume earning an RN license is enough to get by in the professional world. However, some simple facts show how this assumption’s counterproductive to a registered nurse’s career advancement. A nurse needs continuing education (CE) credits to progress in this industry, and these credits are obtained by constantly harnessing your know-how. Therefore, we suggest RNs focus on honing their education and updating their nursing-related information.
We’ve discussed a few reasons why continuing your education has become indispensable for career growth as a nurse. So, let’s get on with it.
Why should RNs enhance their learning?
So, have you understood the concept of CE or continuing education? It refers to periodically boosting your knowledge and learning what’s new in the industry. All professionals today need these CE credits, not just nurses. Since we’re penning down these words for nurses, the concept we’re dealing with here is CNU or continuing nursing education. The credits you gain are called CEUs; the “U” stands for units. One unit means ten hours of continued education obtained by RNs.
Interestingly, most states require registered nurses to undergo CNU after one, two, or three years. Now, let’s discuss why continued education can benefit nurses career-wise. Consider these suggestions:
- Mandatory for career
First, getting a bachelor’s in nursing will soon become mandatory for all RNs. Nursing experts advise you to focus on honing your academic credentials to survive in this industry. If the cost makes you disappointed, then consider distance learning options. You can find many cheap online RN to BSN programs to pursue higher learning and become an advanced nursing professional. So don’t ever cease honing your knowledge; you will always stay sought-after by your employers.
2. Study diverse topics
Don’t assume that CNUs are boring because there’s a lot of variety in the subjects you can choose. So you can find the field relevant to your nursing career and bolster your daily practice by undergoing these diverse options. Some options available to you in these continued nursing programs are leadership, patient safety, infection control, and occupational health. Moreover, RNs can attain excellence in cardiology, neurology, informatics, and maternal-newborn caregiving.
3. Leaders require competency
Many RNs wish to become future leaders, and lifelong learning paves the way for them to attain this goal. In addition, continuing nursing education bolsters your ability to resolve conflicts, solve problems, and stay updated about what’s new. These reasons alone should convince RNs to pursue excellence in this field and become academically superior.
4. Address changing practices
Nursing hasn’t remained the same as it was years ago, thanks to the inclusion of technology. Today, we have several digital marvels enhancing the efficacy of the country’s medical system, such as every patient’s medical history going digital and telehealth offering socially-distant healthcare. RNs should address these changing practices by constantly trying to learn more about these advancements. Find problems you often deal with during your shift and then find courses to learn how to tackle these issues.
5. Increase job satisfaction
Pursuing CNU programs can make nurses more interested in their duties. In addition, learning about what you do for a living can increase your job satisfaction. We know that nurses are considered some of the most satisfied professionals. However, COVID’s adverse effects have overtaken RNs too. So, continued education is a fun way to help nurses regain their passion for helping patients and performing medical duties. Lifelong learning keeps you happy, satisfied and engaged.
6. Improve your engagement
Today, nurses have become radically disengaged from their jobs. Statistics indicate that one-third of RNs plan to leave this profession by the end of this year. However, it’s observed that continued education boosts people’s morale and convinces them to carry on doing their jobs. A nurse, therefore, can become more engaged at work and love their work by improving their education. Lifelong learning promotes healthy nurses and convinces a workforce to be more productive.
7. Propagate trusted information
You should become a trusted source of information for your peers and patients. You can learn what’s true and false about the medical information circulating in the ward. It can help you empower your patients while educating them effectively on self-care tips. With practical knowledge comes higher recognition. A nurse can quickly become a trusted source of information when they pursue CNU courses that can speak for their credibility.
8. Developing new skills
As we’ve mentioned before, leadership positions require nurses to develop some “soft skills.” So, an RN can develop these skills easily by pursuing continuing education programs. These skills can improve nurses’ public dealing, critical thinking, problem-solving, and effective communication. In addition, RNs should learn about newer drugs in the market and the latest evidence-based practices introduced in the nursing industry. These skills make you more competent and boost your career properly.
9. Boost your earnings
Continuing your education doesn’t just enhance your information but improves your experience too. Therefore, CNU leads to nurses becoming more advanced in their practice and eligible for higher earnings. If you wish to boost your salary, keep honing your skills by continuing your education. You can bolster your payment after gaining the required experience and accepting more responsibilities. So, advanced education’s good for you financially and helps create a healthy work-life balance.
10. Invest for later
We discussed at the beginning of these number points how nurses should pursue cheap RN-to-BSN programs digitally. There’s another method of pursuing higher education without spending money. Sometimes, employers can reimburse them for the tuition RNs paid for while boosting their learning. You can ask the institution to fund your pursuit of knowledge so you can benefit them with your new knowledge and advanced skill set.
Conclusion
We’ve established that continued nursing education (CNU) has become necessary for RNs. In 2021, 56% of nurses had a bachelor’s degree, and soon a BSN will become mandatory. We have stated other reasons nurses must pursue BSN programs online today. You can boost your job satisfaction level and become actively engaged in nursing. Employers are constantly looking for and willing to pay for nurses with increased competency. And CNU helps you address changing practices too. Moreover, RNs can study a diverse range of subjects during their studies while honing their “soft skills.” So, these are just a few reasons why modern-day nurses must continue their education.