Lifelong learning for professionals is essential for one’s own personal and professional development. It keeps them up to date about the latest advancements in their field. In the area of health care, specifically in nursing, lifelong learning is even more important because there is a need to become competent “to provide care for diverse populations across the lifespan”. Lifelong learning is the primarily the responsibility of the individual. However, there are several organizations which have put it upon themselves to develop courses for the lifelong learning needs of their employees. An example of this is The John Hopkins Hospital which provides its nurses in the physical rehab unit a 10-hour online course which aims to educate their nurses further. This is in line with the Institute of Medicine’s position that in order for the nursing profession to move forward, healthcare institutions should ensure that nurses engage in lifelong learning. In an ideal world, lifelong learning should be a collaboration among academic institutions, healthcare systems, continuing education providers, accrediting bodies, licensing and credentialing boards and funders (American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) and Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), 2010).
Through lifelong learning nurses are updated about the latest technology, medical devices and equipment, drugs and procedures. If one is not educated on these latest developments, it might hamper the well-being of the patient. Lifelong learning makes nurses more confident in what they do because they know that they are giving the best care for their patients. Since lifelong learning includes practice-based learning, improvement methods, self-reflection and assessment, it has a positive impact on the self-esteem of the nurses (AACN & AAMC, 2010). Lifelong learning benefits not only the healthcare provider but also his patients.
The scope of practice plays a major role in lifelong learning by improving the academic and career potential of healthcare providers (AACN & AAMC, 2010). It addresses “the shifts in the nation’s patient population, growing complexity in the healthcare system, and exponential growth of knowledge and advances in technology, biomedical, and related fields” (AACN & AAMC, 2010, p.9). Ethics and values also play a significant role in lifelong learning because a person’s desire to be educated is guided by his morals. Morality should be incorporated in any learning system. Lifelong learning is a decision made by one based on what he believes will be for his good and the good of the people whom he serves.
References
American Association of Colleges of Nursing and Association of American Medical Colleges. (2010). Lifelong learning in medicine and nursing. (pp. 1-101). Washington, DC : Josiah Macey Foundation.
Edelson, M. (2013). Lifelong Learning. Retrieved from magazine.nursing.jhu.edu: http://magazine.nursing.jhu.edu/2012/11/lifelong-learning/
Zhao, K., & Biesta, G. (2012). The moral dimensions of lifelong learning: Giddens, Taylor, and the "Reflexive project of the self". Adult Education Quarterly, 332-350.
