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Keeping Current

As a professional it is vital to maintain current evidence based practices as well as gain additional knowledge to be able to uphold a proficient practice and be a competitive in the current workforce. What ways can you keep up to date without causing a large financial burden? In some states nurses have to complete a certain number of continue educations to be able to renew their license. Even in states where it isn’t mandatory to complete CE’s it is of personal and professional benefit to learn changes in patient care and medical practices (Witt; Aug 2011). Some sites provide a yearly fee for unlimited CE’s, while some nursing associations and colleges provide free CE’s. Another way to keep up to date is by subscribing to nursing journals (Smith; Jan 1996). Some journal subscriptions may be pricey depending on the specialty, but non-specialty journals like Nursing Made Incredibly Easy and the American Journal of Nursing offer current issues and new practices at an affordable price. Another journal option can be found on websites like Nurse.com and Advance for Nursing provide free nursing journals but in print and online. It is also financially and professionally beneficial to join a nursing association while still a student, most students pay a lower membership fee than those already in practice. Graduate nurses can also find it beneficial to join as some associations provide first year discounts. The National Student Nurses’ Association membership is as low as $25 (in certain areas), and in some states membership provides a free or reduce membership fee to the state’s American Nurses’ Association chapter. As a member you can get free CE’s, free print and journal magazines, news related to your specialty, discounts to conventions, and access to certificates that can help you stand out. Belonging to a nursing association can be invaluable if you get involved. In this way you are in the forefront of change, assisting others in their professional growth as well as yourself. Finally the most inexpensive way to maintain your professional practice is at work. Do not be afraid to ask others to show you and let you practice how to do skills you haven’t done before or feel you need to practice more. Nursing school doesn’t teach you everything and your employer is only going to teach you what you need to do the job at hand. It is up to you to keep current with your profession and make yourself marketable.

Smith, J. (Jan. 1996). The role of nursing journals in the advancement of professional nursing. Journal of advance nursing (23(1). 12-6). Retrieved from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8708206


Witt, C. (Aug. 2011). Continuing education: A personal responsibility (p. 227-228). Advances in neonatal care (Vol. 11, Iss. 4). Retrieved from: http://journals.lww.com/advancesinneonatalcare/Fulltext/2011/08000/Continuing_Education__A_Personal_Responsibility.1.aspx

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