Continuing, vs. Expanding, Education
What does “continuing education” mean to you? Does it mean another class that starts with “the heart has four chambers, the top two are called the atria...” or “the first thing we always want to assess is the ABC’s?” Does it mean merely revisiting the same topics in the same depth as those found in licensure courses? Or does it mean “expanding education,” taking concepts presented in initial licensure programs and going beyond them?
To me “continuing education” should be “expanding education,” exposing our students to ever increasing breadth and depth of material. Our initial licensure courses are only an introduction and should be enhanced with ongoing education that goes above and beyond licensure materials. Not only do the students benefit from an ever increasing knowledge base, but so do the teachers who get to prepare unique and interesting courses, and, most importantly, so do the patients who are being cared for by people who are constantly challenging themselves and making themselves better patient care providers.
So the next time you think about presenting another training on medical emergencies, consider spicing it up a little by introducing endocrine emergencies; when you’re teaching OB and GYN emergencies, consider throwing in a review of cancers of some of the reproductive organs; when it’s time to do pediatric emergencies, open yourselves up to starting a discussion of what communicable diseases children are prone to and which ones can be prevented with vaccinations. You can even spice up a trauma training by looking at some of the musculoskeletal disorders that affect people’s gait, balance, and ability to ambulate. There’s so much to learn in medicine, there’s no need to waste time just reviewing the same limited (by scope and/or depth) topics over and over again.
© 2008 by Jacqueline B.
Vaniotis