In the last couple of years, we have been witnessing the expansion of digitalization in the medical field, as a consequence of an attempt to minimize social contacts. We have been facing a new infection that we knew nothing about. We had to learn and adapt on the go. Medical knowledge has expanded rapidly, new treatments and procedures have been implemented, and new technologies have been introduced in almost every healthcare facility.
This demonstrates the best why continuing education in travel nursing matters. We already knew how important it was to keep up with the advancement and changes in the field, but the COVID-19 has highlighted the importance of what we, as travel nurses, were always aware of.
Continuing education is a part of your career
Nursing education does not stop when we officially become registered nurses. It continues throughout our career and travel nurses need to pay even more attention to it, in order to be able to do their job efficiently. As travelers, we need to follow a lot of procedures related to the traveling regulations, state regulations, and healthcare facility requirements all the time. It can be hard to keep up, but it’s crucial for a travel nurse if we want to maintain our licenses or/and make career advancements.
License renewal
Every travel nurse needs to make sure his/her license will be renewed by gathering a certain amount of CEUs (Continuing Education Units) per year. It depends on the state’s BON (Board of Nursing) what that amount is. If you have a nursing compact license, be aware that you have to maintain your home state’s nursing license this way and also get any additional and specific CEUs that the country you’re traveling to requires.
Specialty certification
The same goes for any specialty certification you may want to pursue in order to advance or change the path of your travel nursing career. Each nursing specialty requires a different number of CEUs that you need to obtain in order to become eligible for certification.
Where to get CEUs?
First, you need to know what you’re looking for. If you need your CEUs for state certification, check out that state’s BON (Board of Nursing), which is the regulating body that determines the number of CEUs. The number of CEUs may vary from state to state and the number of years for which the particular license is valid.
If you are pursuing a specialty certification, you should look for a credential body that is associated with that particular specialty. To be sure, you can always check the details with your BON and your medical staffing agency.
How to get CEUs?
CEUs can be earned in a variety of ways. These ways include presentations, seminars, schools and medical facilities, speakers, and multiple online programs and modules.
Attending national conferences is another great way to earn CEUs, learn, travel, and meet new people. Online courses are also a great way to get your CEUs, as they offer more flexibility to our busy travel nursing schedule and save us time. Make sure you’re tracking the courses you are interested in and with a little luck you’ll be able to get them at a fair price.
Before you engage in any activity that will bring you CEUs, make sure it is accredited by American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) which is responsible for monitoring nursing licenses. This way, you are making sure that you are choosing CEUs that have gone through a rigorous process of checking and have met ANCC standards, and therefore are valid. Don’t forget this step as it can save you a lot of time and money.
Are CEUs free?
Unfortunately, CEUs are not free nor are specialty certifications. Depending on your healthcare recruiter’s business policy, they may offer continuing education reimbursement as a part of their reimbursement program, as we here at Ventura do, so don’t forget to ask about it.
We know that tracking your CEUs and making sure everything’s up to date can be overwhelming at times, but it is so worth it. By not neglecting your continuing education you are investing in your career, you are more likely to get the travel nursing job you want and most importantly you are able to take care of your patients in a better way.
Keeping up with the medical changes and challenges we are able to adapt quickly and deliver high-quality care to our patients. If you want to be there for them, the Ventura team is the right choice for you.
