Why CEs (Continuing education) matter

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Outline

Overview

  1. CE’s matter because….
    1. Medical knowledge is constantly evolving and changing.
    2. Continual learning is essential to ensure best practice.
    3. They help ensure that all nurses are making efforts to stay up-to-date.
    4. They are required for most license renewals.
      1. Number required varies per state.
  2. Tips
    1. View CE’s as an important part of your practice, NOT a just a box to check.
    2. Try to integrate your learning with your practice.
      1. Take courses that cover content related to the patients you care for.
    3. Take courses that interest you.
      1. What kind of medicine fascinates you?
      2. Do you love pharmacology?
      3. Do you thrive on patient education?
    4. Use down time at work (if manager approved!) to complete course
    5. Don’t wait until the last minute.

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Transcript

Hey you guys, in this lesson we are going to talk about continuing education.

So, there is so much to know in the medical world and on top of that medical knowledge is always changing. New medications and treatments are being researched all the time. The only way to make sure our nursing practice is staying current is to be dedicated to continual learning. 

Continuing Education was created as a way to try and provide structure and consistency for all nurses who are engaging in continual learning.  So what exactly are CE’s, well they are basically just a way to document any training or education that you undertake. Medical conferences, journal articles, online courses, all of these different places can apply to an accredited program to be able to offer continuing education units to people who complete a course.  The units or credits reflect the time spent on the training. Usually, you get a certificate of sometimes documenting that you’ve completed the course. 

A lot of states require nurses to have completed a certain number of hours before they can renew their license, so check your state’s requirements to see how many you need to complete before you renew your license. 

Alright, I’ve got a few tips for you.  

The first is to view it as an essential and important part of your practice.  It’s not just a box to tick, it keeps you up-to-date and makes sure your provide the best care possible. 

Second, integrate it with your daily work- choose topics that are related to the types of patients you usually care for.  This keeps it relevant and helps the information stick. 

Third, focus on what interests you.  Do you love pharmacology? Patient education?  Choose training courses that you know you’ll enjoy!

Fourth, sometimes you can use downtime at work to complete some online training- check with your manager- but it’s always nice to get these things done at work rather than having to use your time off for it. 

Fifth, make sure you keep track of your certificates and your hours so that when it’s time to renew your license you don’t have to spend days looking for everything.  

Okay, so where should you look to find CE’s?  A great place to start is professional journals.  Honestly, you can just google professional nursing journals to find a list to start from.  Nursingcentre.com has a great list and I’ve included this in the links for this lesson. Another great way to look for CE’s is to search for professional organizations associated with your specialty.  Some examples are, The Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses, or the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses. These websites will likely offer CE’s, some free some not, but they will also probably have conferences happening throughout the year where you can knock out a bunch of CE’s at once. 

 

Some consistent websites to find free CE’s are medscape.com.  I actually use medscape a lot. And then also Nurse.com.

So let’s do a quick recap.  CE’s are way to document time spent in training.  Remember continual learning helps keep us up-do-date and ensures best practice. 

Try to integrate it with your daily practice so that it is related to the work you do and try to choose topics that interest you!  

And lastly, don’t wait until the last minute.  You don’t want to be stuck trying to do 20 hours worth of continuing education in one night!
We love you guys! Go out and be your best self today! And as always, Happy Nursing!

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My Study Plan Nur_252 from H-O

Concepts Covered:

  • Oncology Disorders
  • Hematologic Disorders
  • Urinary Disorders
  • Male Reproductive Disorders
  • Sexually Transmitted Infections
  • Female Reproductive Disorders
  • Prenatal Concepts
  • Pregnancy Risks
  • Postpartum Complications
  • Fetal Development
  • Labor and Delivery
  • Labor Complications
  • Postpartum Care
  • Newborn Care
  • Newborn Complications
  • Integumentary Disorders
  • Liver & Gallbladder Disorders
  • Microbiology
  • Emotions and Motivation
  • Health & Stress
  • Prioritization
  • Studying
  • Communication
  • Concepts of Population Health
  • Factors Influencing Community Health
  • Legal and Ethical Issues
  • Basics of NCLEX
  • Fundamentals of Emergency Nursing
  • Developmental Considerations
  • Trauma-Stress Disorders
  • Emergency Care of the Cardiac Patient
  • Community Health Overview
  • Integumentary Disorders
  • Postoperative Nursing
  • Medication Administration
  • Documentation and Communication
  • Preoperative Nursing
  • Delegation

Study Plan Lessons

Stomach Cancer (Gastric Cancer)
Bladder Cancer
Kidney Cancer
Liver Cancer
Testicular Cancer
Prostate Cancer
Radiation Cancer Treatment
Chemotherapy Patients
Colorectal Cancer (colon rectal cancer)
Cervical Cancer
Ovarian Cancer
Antineoplastics
Anti Tumor Antibiotics
Antimetabolites
Alkylating Agents
Plant Alkaloids Topoisomerase and Mitotic Inhibitors
Nursing Care and Pathophysiology of BPH (Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia)
Nursing Care and Pathophysiology for Male Infertility
Nursing Care and Pathophysiology for Testicular Torsion
Nursing Care and Pathophysiology for Epididymitis
Varicocele
Nursing Care and Pathophysiology for Herpes Simplex (HSV, STI)
Nursing Care and Pathophysiology for Syphilis (STI)
Nursing Care and Pathophysiology for Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID)
Nursing Care and Pathophysiology for Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)
Nursing Care and Pathophysiology for Endometriosis
Nursing Care and Pathophysiology for Menopause
Nursing Care and Pathophysiology for Human Papilloma Virus (HPV STI)
Nursing Care and Pathophysiology for Gonorrhea (STI)
Nursing Care and Pathophysiology for Chlamydia (STI)
OB Course Introduction
Menstrual Cycle
Family Planning & Contraception
Gestation & Nägele’s Rule: Estimating Due Dates
Gravidity and Parity (G&Ps, GTPAL)
Signs of Pregnancy (Presumptive, Probable, Positive)
Fundal Height Assessment for Nurses
Maternal Risk Factors
Physiological Changes
Discomforts of Pregnancy
Antepartum Testing
Nutrition in Pregnancy
Abortion in Nursing: Spontaneous, Induced, and Missed
Anemia in Pregnancy
Cardiac (Heart) Disease in Pregnancy
Chorioamnionitis
Gestational Diabetes (GDM)
Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation (DIC)
Ectopic Pregnancy
Hematomas in OB Nursing: Causes, Symptoms, and Nursing Care
Hydatidiform Mole (Molar pregnancy)
Hyperemesis Gravidarum
Gestational HTN (Hypertension)
Incompetent Cervix
Preeclampsia: Signs, Symptoms, Nursing Care, and Magnesium Sulfate
Fertilization and Implantation
Fetal Development
Fetal Environment
Fetal Circulation
Process of Labor
Mechanisms of Labor
Leopold Maneuvers
Fetal Heart Monitoring (FHM)
Obstetrical Procedures
Placenta Previa
Premature Rupture of the Membranes (PROM)
Prolapsed Umbilical Cord
Abruptio Placentae (Placental abruption)
Preterm Labor
Precipitous Labor
Dystocia
Postpartum Physiological Maternal Changes
Postpartum Interventions
Postpartum Discomforts
Breastfeeding
Postpartum Hematoma
Postpartum Hemorrhage (PPH)
Mastitis
Subinvolution
Postpartum Thrombophlebitis
Initial Care of the Newborn (APGAR)
Newborn Physical Exam
Body System Assessments
Newborn Reflexes
Babies by Term
Transient Tachypnea of Newborn
Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP)
Hyperbilirubinemia (Jaundice)
Erythroblastosis Fetalis
Addicted Newborn
Newborn of HIV+ Mother
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS)
Meconium Aspiration
Tocolytics
Betamethasone and Dexamethasone
Magnesium Sulfate
Opioid Analgesics
Prostaglandins
Uterine Stimulants (Oxytocin, Pitocin)
Meds for PPH (postpartum hemorrhage)
Rh Immune Globulin (Rhogam)
Lung Surfactant
Eye Prophylaxis for Newborn (Erythromycin)
Phytonadione (Vitamin K)
Hb (Hepatitis) Vaccine
Self Care & Avoiding Nursing Burnout
Time Management
Confidence Building as a New Grad Nurse
Working night shift
Transition To Practice
Prioritization
Precepting a New Nurse
Precepting a Student
Charge Nurse
Care for Hispanic Patient Populations
Care for Asian-Indian Patient Populations
Care for Native American Patient Populations
Caring for African Patient Populations
License Maintenance
Evidence Based Research
Why CEs (Continuing education) matter
Climbing the Clinical Ladder
Advanced Critical Thinking
Joint Commission
Handling Death and Dying
Postmortem Care
Trusting your Gut
Remaining Calm
Calling for RRT, Code Blue
Giving the Best Patient Education
Avoiding Alarm Fatigue
Different Dressings
Crash Cart
IV Pump Management
Legal Aspects of Documentation
What Guides Nurses Practice
Advance Directives
Nursing Care Delivery Models
Health Promotion Model
Health Promotion Assessments
Levels of Prevention
Legal Considerations
HIPAA
Admissions, Discharges, and Transfers
Patient Education
Documentation Basics
Documentation Pro Tips
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs in Nursing
Delegation