Vital Signs

Continuing Education in an Ever-Changing Career

By June Parsley, RN

Even though it has been almost 28 years, I can still remember what my classmates and I said those last few months before we graduated from our baccalaureate nursing program. We couldn't wait to graduate so we would never have to be in class again! How naive we were--for we had no idea of the adventure in learning that lay ahead.

Since then, the changes in health care have been phenomenal. I can't imagine facing the challenges of a nursing career without the benefit of continuing education opportunities. My first course was in critical care after only one year out of nursing school. It may be hard to believe, but I am still applying some of that basic knowledge today. After that beginning, my continuing education needs have been as diverse as my career.

I was on the faculty in a college setting for five years while earning my master's degree. Many of my continuing education courses focused on such things as how to write measurable objectives, how to construct tests, and how to be a more effective teacher.

I then returned to a hospital setting, where I have worked for the past 20 years. For several years, I was one of the orientation and continuing education instructors for my facility. I still remember what a task it was to orient a large number of employees with varying degrees of ability. Another instructor and I attended a course on self-paced learning through the use of self-instructional modules. We came back from this program and completely revamped our nursing service orientation program. It greatly enhanced the ability of the staff nurses to learn at their own pace and to complete orientation requirements. Self-instructional modules are still in use today, 18 years after we introduced this concept at our facility.

During the years that I was the nursing recruitment and staffing coordinator at my facility, my learning needs continued. It was the certification in nursing administration that I earned from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) that enabled me to sharpen and add to my skills. This certification prepared me for a stage in my career that was much different from the one I envisioned in nursing school.

Three years ago, my career took another turn. After much soul searching, I decided to return to the clinical arena after a 15-year absence. Times had changed since my original stint in clinical practice, though, and again, it was continuing education that prepared me for the challenges I would soon face. I took a proactive approach to this transition in my career and attended as many continuing education programs as possible.

Over the years, I have been able to apply my continuing education learning to my nursing practice. One example stands out. When I first returned to a clinical setting, I cared for dementia patients who were hospitalized for respite visits or were having their initial work-ups. One family member asked me why her father had to have a CT scan and a SPECT scan. I couldn't answer her question. When I asked some of my peers, they didn't know, either. I felt that if I were going to be an advocate for patients and families meeting the challenges of this diagnosis, I would need to increase my knowledge as quickly as possible.

I attended a gerontology update course, offered annually by my facility's nursing education department. One of the most interesting speakers was a doctoral-prepared nurse who researches dementia. The slides she showed of CT and SPECT scans are still quite vivid in my mind. It is so much easier to understand the behavior of a patient with dementia when you realize what is happening to his brain. I took this information back to my unit and shared it with my peers. I then recommended to the Nursing Service Education Council that we have an ongoing series of classes on a variety of subjects related to dementia, and I requested to be on the planning committee.

This request led to a year-long interdisciplinary program covering various subjects, such as diagnosing dementia, nutritional aspects, legal and ethical questions, nursing care, caregiver stress, and community resources. This was so rewarding for me. What began as a search to meet my needs helped meet the learning needs of many others as well. Even though I now work in an outpatient setting, I am still putting this knowledge to use.

No matter what turns my career might take, I know without a doubt it will involve a continuing pursuit of ways to increase my knowledge in the ever-changing health care field.

For more information on certification, contact the ANCC, (800) 274-2ANA. To learn more about continuing education, contact RoAnne Dahlen-Hartfeld, (202) 651-7106.

June Parsley, a member of the Arkansas Nurses Association, is a staff nurse in primary care at the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Little Rock, AR.