Question

1. Discuss the merits and drawbacks of mandatory continuing education (CE) from viewpoints of both nurses and consumers of nursing care

Answer 1

Ans) Mandatory continuing education (CE) for nurses continues to be a viable means by which nurses can remain competent in the face of ever-increasing knowledge and technology in the health care setting. A multiplicity of CE providers, offering a variety of teaching approaches, exists to ensure nurses remain competent and advance in their fields of practice. Presently, more research must be conducted to measure the effectiveness of CE programs on patient care outcomes. Scholarly investigation may assist in justifying mandatory CE for nurses if positive patient care outcomes can be identified. Several states are regulating professional nursing practitioners by requiring CE. Although some states have not endorsed mandatory CE for nurses, it is likely that more state boards of nursing will continue the slow but steady trend of requiring CE for relicensure--especially if research establishes positive patient care outcomes.

Merits:

- Nursing is a lifelong learning process.

- Continuing education courses for nurses, although not a substitute for advanced education, can also affect the quality of care and patient outcomes by providing necessary opportunities to improve practice skills and knowledge.

Demerits:

- While it may be beneficial to attempt education with all students, it may not always be successful. A system that requires attendance may work against students who are adversarial to it. This puts the teachers and students willing to learn in a situation where attempting to educate an unwilling pupil lowers the efficacy of the learning environment for all. Such problem children can make other children less likely to cooperate, which ultimately sabotages the entire enterprise.

- The strain on society of enforcing compulsory education must also be considered. Maintaining societal mechanisms necessary to ensure compliance requires no small amount of resources.