The Changing World of Healthcare
In the last thirty years, healthcare has changed an incredulous amount. With the rise of technology and knowledge, research, accessibility, and treatments have become a lot more efficient.
Technology, specifically, has changed a lot. Comparing what materials we have now with the early 2000s allows us to see that a great divergence has occurred. For example, x-rays have become a lot less harmful and their results have become much more accurate. fMRIs have also increased in accuracy, as well as safer surgical procedures. This is possible because of new scientific discoveries and methods. The technology affecting communication between hospital to hospital, and hospital to a patient has also increased. Medical records are now a lot more shareable and accessible.
Additionally, research has helped the field deeply by equipping doctors, nurses, and patients with more knowledge. Doctors can now spot cancer a lot earlier than before, giving patients the chance to treat it more effectively. Research has also increased the number of prescription drugs available in the market. This has brought additional knowledge regarding methods of treatment for diseases such as HIV, and so much more.
The Culture of Hospital Stays
The culture of hospital stays and patient treatment, aside from medical treatment, has also changed drastically throughout the last couple of decades. Throughout the 1900s, patients were segregated and discriminated against regarding their race. This resulted in often being kept apart by floor or room and an environment like this was deeply unhealthy for patients. Patients who received lesser treatment were more stressed and as a result, it caused physical recovery harder to achieve.
Stays at hospitals have also increased in efficiency; before, a lot of patients had to stay much longer at hospitals, making it difficult for other patients to receive care when they needed it immediately. Now, a lot of things, like dialysis machines, can be administered to patients at their homes rather than at hospitals, opening up room for other patients to be seen. Lastly, medical professionals are now more open with their patients regarding their diagnosis, so patients can now know earlier and become part of the process in which they decide what health care they receive.
Clearly, then, healthcare has changed a lot over the years, and the results of this, for the most part, have been quite positive. Mortality rates have declined, rates for a number of different diseases have declined, and so on. How, then, can a CEUs help nurses in an environment that boasts so much change and advancement constantly?
How CEUs Have Changed and How They Help Nurses Stay on Top
Before, CEUs were administered via posted mail through tests and brochures, and a lot of errors occurred with this method. Additionally, it was inconvenient and inefficient. The tests and certifications would take a long time to be sent out, as well as received. Additionally, information was not as easily updated or learned by nurses, which cannot sit well with how fast things are being updated in today’s world of changing technology and healthcare.
Online CEUs have already been helpful to nurses because of how accessible it is. Boards of nursing generally require professionals to complete a certain amount of continuing education per multi-year certification or licensure cycle. This is the norm across professions, and the need for continuing education has been well-established and documented for decades.
Adding to one’s personal knowledge base is important for both work/career satisfaction. The maintenance of licensure and certification becomes a career-long endeavor for those of us employed in the healthcare sector.
Meet NursingCE
NursingCE.com offers classes in a plethora of topics that offer up-to-date knowledge. Such courses include the latest research and information available regarding certain diseases, aspects of pharmacology, and more. Knowledge from one’s original courses just doesn’t cut it anymore. When it’s paired with newer knowledge and techniques, nurses can be equipped to continue offering needed care to patients. With this recency of information, travel nurses will never fall behind in what they can know and want to know.
Additionally, the administration of recertification has become more digitized and convenient. CEUs are readily available to be taken online. Within a matter of hours, a certificate of completion is ready for you to download and print for your records.
CEUs, then, have adapted and become as convenient as many aspects of the healthcare industry. They allow travel nurses to be as up-to-date as possible with recent knowledge and research. They also allow travel nurses to be ready to work and provide healthcare again in no-time.
If you’re ready for some new CEU’s, you can receive them at a 20% discount on NursingCE.com when you join Wanderly for free. An email will be sent to you with the discount code and instructions. Happy Nursing!