Mandatory continuing education aims to improve service delivery in the healthcare industry. It has over the years been implemented by the American Nursing Association, legalized by many states in the United States, since it establishes a framework to improve the quality of healthcare provided by the nurses. It upholds the fact that nursing has grown immensely and that mandatory continuing education can improve the quality of services being offered by nurses.
Despite the disadvantages of the program, it also has immense benefits in regard to competency levels of nurses. It improves the patient’s outcomes in health care delivery, and also establishes the standards of nursing care (Black & Chitty, 2014), that sets the requirements that need to be upheld by nurses. The mandatory continuing education also relates with the American Nursing Association (ANA), scope of standards of practice, in that it facilitates training of evidence based practice (Delaune & Ladner, 2003). The ANA code of ethics also established standards that guide the nursing practice by outlining the expectations within the profession (Rowel, 2003). It also establishes a framework that enables the clinicians to be accountable for their deeds within the healthcare institutions. Mandatory continuing education has disadvantages. It is costly since in that it needs money, in order for nurses to attend professional classes and subscribe to online training materials.
On the other hand, it violates the adult learning principle by disregarding voluntary participation in education. Mandatory continuing education is important because it has an impact on the delicate lives of people within the society. It should be encouraged and entrenched within the nursing fraternity, because it helps improve healthcare delivery, enhance competency levels and assist in continuous development of skills.
References
Black, B. P., & Chitty, K. K. (2014). Professional nursing: Concepts & challenges.
DeLaune, S. C., & Ladner, P. K. (2002). Fundamentals of nursing: Standards & practice. Albany, NY: Delmar Thomson Learning.
Rowell, P. A. (2003). THE PROFESSIONAL NURSING ASSOCIATION'S ROLE IN PATIENT SAFETY. Online Journal Of Issues In Nursing, 8(3), 97-104.
