Margaret Ford

Ethical Debate for Continue Education

Stance: All states should require 30 hours of CECs, in a two year time frame, to maintain an
active RN license. Continued education for all nurses should be mandatory to assure the public of
continued competence.
In the 1970s various states proposed legislation requiring continued education for nursing re-
licensure. This type of legislation was accepted by most states, but not all. Certain states do not require
continued education for license renewal such as: Maine, Indiana, Idaho, Hawaii, Georgia and Vermont.
It is ethical wrong that these states do not require lifelong learning to maintain a valid license. The board
of nursing mandates continued education because it protects the publics safety and welfare by ensuring
that nurses meet minimum standards of proficiency.
Continued education should be mandatory because:
1. Continued education demonstrates Accountability
2. RNs should be committed to their profession
3. CECS maintain Excellence: If you dont use it, you lose it.
4. It helps the nurse stay current in their profession
5. Continued education improves patient outcomes and protects the patient
A patients life is in the hands of an RN. The nurse is responsible for educating their patient, monitoring
changes in their status and performing nursing skills based on EBP. Implementing EBP requires the nurse
to be inquisitive and to seek the latest research that is supported by scientific. Individual nurses are
accountable for their own practice and are accountable for implementing professional development,
based on their learning needs (Exstrom, 2001, p 1). Acquiring continued education opens up
opportunities for nurses to strengthen their knowledge and overcome their deficits.
When a nursing student obtains an RN license they make a commitment to a code of ethics. The
American Nurse Association sets valuable principles that all nurses should fulfill: The code for Nurses
states: The nurse owes the same duty to self as to others, including the responsibility to preserve
integrity, to maintain competence, and to continue personal and professional growth (Taylor &
LeMone 2011, p 95). Continued learning allows the nurse to explore areas of interest and reach their
fullest potential.
Most of us in this room, are familiar with the phrase, If you dont use it, you lose it. A Nursing Practice
is just that, it is consistent practice that never ends. And practice makes perfect, right? Well, at least we
hope so. Nurses need constant reminders of important information that they may have lost over time.
Nurses are expected to maintain a broad body of knowledge that enables them to critical think, to
prioritize and make nursing judgments.
A nurse must acquire ongoing knowledge to provide patients with reliable, updated information.
Today, with the rapid expansion of new knowledge and technology health professionals find much of
their knowledge outdated and most of their technical skills obsolete (Oliver, 1984, p 1). The healthcare
field is constantly changing and technology is growing at a rapid rate. Nurses need to stay current in
their profession and adapt to new ideas.
Highly trained nurses make a difference in creating a safe environment that improves patient outcomes.
In most cases, a nurse with a BA degree have credentials that have a significant effect on a patients life.
Hospitals that have a large percent of nurses with CECs have lower 30 day mortality and failure to
recue rate. Every 10% increase in the BA degree in a hospital was associated with a 6% decrease in the
odds of the patient dying. Years of experience in a hospital did not have a significant effect on patient
outcomes. Also in California they have a lower rate of MRSA infections, which are correlated with the
mandatory thirty hours of CECs that are required in this state. CECs lowered the infection rate and
improved patient outcomes.























References:
Oliver, Sandra Kay,R.N., PhD. (1984). The effects of continuing education on the clinical
behavior of nurses. The Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing, 15(4), 130-134.
Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/915654484?accountid=27045
Exstrom, Sheila M,PhD., R.N. (2001). The state board of nursing and its role in continued
competency. The Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing, 32(3), 118-25. Retrieved
from http://search.proquest.com/docview/223318290?accountid=27045
American Association, o. C. (2003). Safeguarding the patient and the profession: The value of
critical care nurse certification. American Journal of Critical Care, 12(2), 154-64. Retrieved
http://www.aacn.org/wd/certifications/content/researchvalidatingcertification.pcms?menu=f
rom http://search.proquest.com/docview/227809880?accountid=27045
http://www.aacn.org/wd/certifications/content/researchvalidatingcertification.pcms?menu=