DEFINITION
Continuing education is an instructional program for adults, consisting of nurs- ing courses in a particular area of knowl- edge and expertise to increase the learner’s knowledge and skills in order to provide competent patient care. The purpose of con- tinuing education in nursing is to enhance knowledge, skills, and confi dence of profes- sional nurses to provide high-quality, com- petent, and safe patient care (Tame, 2013).
The complexities of health care necessitate the professional nurse to continually obtain education.
APPLICATION
Continuing education can be provided by academic and health care institutions for the professional registered nurse (RN) to achieve the necessary education to fulfi ll current or prospective positions in nursing. Hospitals may require completion of a certain number of continuing education credits within a par- ticular time frame.
Continuing education may be a require- ment for state licensure and/or specialty certifi cation. These requirements may be yearly or over the duration of the licensing and certifi cation periods. Regional, state, and national nursing organizations may offer continuing education courses to mem- bers and nonmembers as a means to fulfi ll the specifi ed requirements. The individual is given a choice of topics and scheduling options. Specialty organizations may also offer courses in specifi c areas to provide the individual with expertise, knowledge, and skill in the specialty domain that may not be found from other sources.
Continuing education programs and courses can be offered using various meth- ods and media. Nurses can attend live ses- sions offered at conferences, workshops, and care (Hicks-Moore, 2005). The concept map
is also helpful for teaching new theories and concepts to students, and can be used to pro- mote understanding by visually linking the new knowledge with what was previously known (Bastable, 2008).
RECOMMENDATIONS
Concept maps are currently being used in the clinical setting and for courses with high theoretical content. They should be considered for use in other settings where the goal is to understand the relationships between concepts. Application of concept maps can apply to all nursing courses. The map can illustrate classes of medications, adverse pharmacological effects, diagnostic categories, symptoms, and nursing impli- cations. Concept mapping should be taught early and reinforced throughout the cur- riculum. Faculty need to conduct research related to the relationship between concept mapping and student learning, as well as between concept mapping and active learning.
Angelo, T. A., & Cross, K. P. (1993). Classroom assessment techniques: A handbook for col- lege teachers. San Francisco, CA: Jossey- Bass.
Bastable, S. B. (2008). Nurse as educator:
Principles of teaching and learning for nurs- ing practice (3rd ed.). Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.
Billings, D. M., & Halstead, J. A. (2012).
Teaching in nursing: A guide for faculty.
St. Louis, MO: Saunders.
Hicks-Moore, S. L. (2005). Clinical concept maps in nursing education: An effective way to link theory and practice. Nurse Education in Practice, 5(6), 348–352.
Oerman, M. H., & Gaberson, K. B. (2014).
Evaluation and testing in nursing educa- tion (4th ed.). New York, NY: Springer Publishing Company, LLC.
Sarah E. Givens Mary T. Quinn Griffi n
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delivery methods for continuing education, nurses are able to obtain the education neces- sary to be current in practice.
SYNOPSIS
Technological advancements, increasing number of pharmaceuticals, and increased patient complexity have presented nursing and other healthcare professionals with pro- fessional challenges (Kowitlawakul, 2013).
These challenges have led to the increased need for continuing education to increase knowledge and engage in professional development. The need for competent and safe care has also led to the requirements and mandates for continuing education for licensure, certifi cation, and credentialing at institutions.
The state nurse practice act guides the professional nurse to provide safe, compe- tent care by fulfi lling the requirements of the state board of nursing. It also encourages familiarity with the guidelines and require- ments necessary for professional practice.
Such motivators are one of the impetuses to obtain continued education in nursing (Pawlyn, 2012; Russell, 2013).
Motivators to complete continuing education can be intrinsic or extrinsic.
Regulatory requirements are key motiva- tors. Schweitzer and Krassa (2010) reported extrinsic factors as weak motivators for completion of continuing education. The personal and professional benefi ts of con- tinuing education were identifi ed as key factors for success. Motivators related to success were remaining current with knowledge and skills, providing immedi- ate practice benefi ts, advancing in a new position, interacting with colleagues, and applying research and evidence to practice (Nalle, Wyatt, & Myers, 2010; Schweitzer &
Krassa, 2010). Nalle et al. (2010) reported personal and professional interests as being the primary reason for participation in con- tinuing education. A combination of intrin- sic and extrinsic motivators is considered to be most ideal for providing continuing education.
short-term courses offered through colleges/
universities, professional organizations, con- tinuing education companies, and health care organizations. Some benefi ts of live in-per- son sessions are asking real-time questions, obtaining immediate feedback, and net- working. Another benefi t with live in-person sessions is that a recording can be made of the session for review at another time. Some barriers to this method of instruction include lack of technology, time requirements, travel, and cost.
Some nurses may choose to utilize writ- ten methods of continuing education. This is accomplished through journal and maga- zine articles as well as information sent via postal mail by an organization or company.
Completing the offering in a timely manner convenient to the learner is a benefi t of writ- ten methods. Journal clubs have been used by health care institutions to encourage read- ing and synthesis of material. This form of continuing education has been reported by Nesbitt as benefi cial in establishing commu- nity, incentive, confi dence, and making an impact on practice. The written form of con- tinuing education allows colleagues to net- work outside of the work environment and promote refl ection on practice.
eLearning is one of the fastest grow- ing methods of providing continuing nurs- ing education. The possibilities are endless and allow for fl exibility and cost-effective ways to provide the educational materials.
Participants can choose from a wide vari- ety of educational offerings including, but not limited to, live and recorded webinars, video and audio conferencing, round-table discussions, articles posted on websites, and virtual classrooms. eLearning can be combined with live in-person sessions for those who are unable to attend the live session.
Continuing education, regardless of the method of delivery, further develops the knowledge and confi dence of nurses. It also facilitates collaboration with colleagues and a healthy questioning of practice by nurses, physicians, and other health care profession- als (Tame, 2013). Because of the multitude of
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minimize fi nancial burdens of providing courses. Sharing of simulation labs, integra- tion of eLearning methodologies, and multi- site offerings can also help reduce the cost of educational programs.
Baxter, P., DiCenso, A., Donald, F., Martin- Misener, R., Opsteen, J., & Chambers, T.
(2013). Continuing education for primary health care nurse practitioners in Ontario, Canada. Nurse Education Today, 33(4), 353–357. doi:10.1016/j.nedt.2012.07.018 Fitzpatrick, J. J., Campo, T. M., & Gacki-
Smith, J. (2013). Emergency care nurses:
Certifi cation, empowerment, and work-related variables. Retrieved from ht t p://w w w.j e no n l i ne.org/a r t ic le/
S0099–1767(13)00023–8/abstract.
Kowitlawakul, Y. (2013). From novice to expert: Sharing professional develop- ment experience in different practice settings. Singapore Nursing Journal, 40(3), 42–46.
Nalle, M. A., Wyatt, T. H., & Myers, C. R. (2010).
Continuing education needs of nurses in a voluntary continuing nursing education state. Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing, 41(3), 107–115; quiz 116.
Pawlyn, J. (2012). The use of e-Learning in continuing professional development.
Learning Disability Practice, 15(1), 33–37.
Russell, K. A. (2013). Nurse Practice Acts guide and govern nursing practice.
Missouri State Board of Nursing Continuing Education, 3(3), 8–10.
Schweitzer, D. J., & Krassa, T. J. (2010).
Deterrents to nurses’ participation in continuing professional devel- opment: An integrative literature review. Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing, 41(10), 441–447; quiz 448.
doi:10.3928/00220124–20100601-05
Tame, S. L. (2013). The effect of continuing professional education on perioperative nurses’ relationships with medical staff:
Findings from a qualitative study. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 69(4), 817–827. doi:
10.1111/j.1365–2648.2012.06065.x
Theresa M. Campo As there are motivators for attending
courses there are also barriers. Time con- straints and confl icts, family obligations, fi nances, fatigue, diffi culty getting off work, and the intensity of the course are some of the main barriers (Baxter et al., 2013; Nalle et al., 2010; Schweitzer & Krassa, 2010). Ways to help nurses overcome barriers are imperative to successful course attendance. Flexibility through combination of offerings helps to accomplish overcoming barriers. Courses that are readily accessible, affordable, and take into consideration time constraints of individuals promote successful course completion (Baxter et al., 2013).
Continuing education leads to increased job satisfaction and decreased levels of burnout while updating professional skills (Schweitzer & Krassa, 2010). In addition, continuing education leads to increased empowerment and decreased intent to leave a current position. Higher levels of perceived empowerment among critical care and emergency nurses as well as fewer reports of intent to leave a current position among these certifi ed nurses were reported.
Continuing education is a major component of the requirements for initial and contin- ued certifi cation and may be a reason for these fi ndings (Fitzpatrick, Campo, & Gacki- Smith, 2013; Fitzpatrick, Campo, Graham, &
Lavendaro, 2010).
RECOMMENDATIONS
Fulfi llment of mandatory requirements and patient needs, as well as meeting the per- sonal and professional demands of practice while supporting the learner, is the goal of continuing education. Innovative methods to deliver high-quality continuing education courses need to be a priority of educators, clinicians, and professional organizations to maintain the ever-changing and expanding standards of patient care. Financial consid- erations can signifi cantly impact the deliv- ery of such programs and requires careful consideration.
Interprofessional continuing educational offerings with shared resources can help to
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SYNOPSIS
There are three key points for the use of Conversation Maps as a teaching pedagogy.
Studies have been focused on outcomes with adult patients with diabetes (Monk, 2010; Reaney, Eichorst, & Gorman, 2012;
Sperl-Hillen et al., 2013). These studies have shown short-term results and participant satisfaction. Studies on the long-term effects are limited. The interactive, participative, and experiential nature of this teaching pedagogy supports the learning needs of students. Engaging students in the course material through Conversation Maps has benefi ts beyond the traditional classroom format.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Health care providers and health care edu- cators are tasked with providing learning environments that meet the needs of learn- ers. Generational factors, learning styles, and individual characteristics need to be consid- ered. Conversation Maps are relatively new in both health care and the secondary edu- cation settings, and study results are begin- ning to appear in the literature. Using this tool in health-related classes serves a twofold purpose: It is well suited for active participa- tion and exposes health care learners to a new learning tool. Conversation Maps have an exciting future; however, more use and research are needed.
Conklin, T. A. (2013). Making it personal: The importance of student experience in creat- ing autonomy-supportive classrooms for millennial learners. Journal of Management Education, 37(4), 499–538.
Croasdale, M. (2008). Med schools adjusting to millennial students. American Medical News. Retrieved from http://www .ama-assn.org/amednews/2008/01/14/
prsd0114.htm
Healthy Interactions. (n.d.). The U.S. Diabetes Conversation Map® Program. Retrieved from http://www.healthyinteractions .com/conver s at ion-m ap -prog ra m s/
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ONVERSATIONM
APPINGDEFINITION
The Conversation Map® is a tabletop dis- play of visuals that helps participants contextualize the information they gain (Healthy Interactions, n.d.). The maps con- tain bright and colorful graphics and are easy to read. Conversation Maps promote learning with interaction and participation.
They were developed by Merck & Company, Healthy Interactions, the American Diabetes Association, and the Canadian Diabetes Association. They are available in 35 lan- guages and in 110 countries (Healthy Interactions, n.d.).
APPLICATION
Conversation Maps are used by trained facilitators. They were created for par- ticipants with specifi c diseases, most frequently diabetes mellitus. Using the maps in secondary education settings for students is novel and innovative. Several studies suggest that college-age students are team oriented, socially oriented, work well in groups, and thrive on collabora- tive activities (Croasdale, 2008; Matulich, Papp, & Haytko, 2008; McGlynn, 2007).
Recommendations are that the learning environment should be collaborative, active, and intellectually challenging (Matulich et al., 2008). A review of the literature by Conklin (2013) recommended that faculty create learning environments by includ- ing listening, giving opportunities to talk, giving praise as feedback, being responsive to questions and comments, and acknowl- edging perspectives and experiences. The experiential, interactive Conversation Map teaching method emphasizes all of these recommendations. A description of using a Conversation Map with undergraduate nursing students for persons with diabetes is described by Strang, Bagnardi, and Utz (2010).