Mandatory continuing nursing education has both pros and cons. The pros include increased competency through enhanced knowledge and skills, improved patient outcomes, and maintaining professional certification. However, continuing education requires time and financial costs. While it helps ensure competency, it does not guarantee it. There are also pros and cons related to how continuing education aligns with nursing standards and ethics. Overall, continuing education aims to improve nursing practice and patient care, but must consider practical barriers like costs and time away from work.

1. Pros and cons of mandatory continuing nursing education
Karen DeFilippis, Idalmis Espinosa
Lasharia Graham, Ijeoma Igbokwe
Karan Kortlander, Jessica McGillen
October 01, 2017
objectives
Discuss the pros and cons of continuing education in nursing in
the following areas:
Impact on competency.
Impact on knowledge and attitudes.
Relationship to professional certification.
Relationship to ANA Scope and Standards of Practice.
Relationship to ANA Code of Ethics.
Impact on competency
Pros:
Cons:
Increased personal knowledge
Time
Increased use of EBP treatments
Cost
Improved patient outcomes
Increased confidence
Developing and maintaining skills
Professional Networking

2. “Currently in many states, a nurse is determined to be
competent when initially licensed and thereafter unless proven
otherwise. Yet many believe this is not enough and are
exploring other approaches to assure continuing competence in
today’s environment where technology and practice are
continually changing, new health care systems are evolving and
consumers are pressing for providers who are competent”
(Whittaker, Carson, & Smolenski, 2000).
“The ultimate outcomes of continuing nursing education (CNE)
activities are to improve the professional practice of nursing
and thereby the care that is provided by registered nurses to
patients” (American Nurses Credentialing Center’, 2014)
Effective workplace learning, based on current evidence,
appears to show potential to prevent errors, support health
professional reflection on practice and performance, foster
ongoing professional development, and sustain improved
individual and organization performance outcomes.
Cost- “Continuing education can be costly. For instance, it is
costly to pay employees to attend a nursing lecture or
conference and to be away from the patients’ bedside.
Additionally, purchasing videos or subscribing to magazines
does require an associated payment. Lastly, implementing a
change is costly it requires training and often new equipment.
Without question, cost is a confounding variable” (Ward, 2013)
Time- This can be time away from work and family. For the
employer ‘implementing a change in practice does require time,
as does completing continuing education credit hours. This
could mean time away from the patient which, in most
instances, is frowned upon” (Ward, 2013)

3. 3
Pros of higher education in nursing
Enhance patients’ outcome.
Reduces medication errors.
Update with new trends.
Increased knowledge on technology use.
Treatment evaluation and recovery.
Enhance collaboration and networking.
Widens employment opportunities for nurses
(University of Saint Mary,2017).
Higher nursing education prepares nurses to make a difference
in delivering safe and effective care to patients, nurses gain the
skills needed to safely administer medication while eliminating
or reducing medication errors, monitoring and assessing the
patient’s response to medications (University of Saint Mary,
2017). Nurses acquire proficiency on the use of new
technologies because higher education programs explores the
latest technology. Nurses are updated on the new trends in
healthcare to keep up with patients’ changing needs. Nurses are
able to effectively and proficiently coordinate patients’ care by
collaborating and communicating with other health care teams,
gain new knowledge through networking; nurses are exposed to
seminars where they meet and interact with other healthcare
professional.
Nurses are prepared to evaluate patients’ response to treatment
and follow up after discharge to improve the quality of patients
lives (University of Saint Mary, 2017). Nurses who have higher
education certificates have more employment opportunities.
Most hospitals requiring nurses to go back to school to get
BSN, and preferring to hire nurses who have BSN.

4. 4
Cons and attitudes of not continuing with higher education in
nursing
Limited career opportunities and positions.
Poor patient outcome.
Lack of confidence.
Limited Knowledge, competency and skills.
Lack of opportunities for collaboration.
There are several disadvantage of not pursing higher education
in nursing, nurses are most times denied of a job or a position
due to the level of their education. Nurses who starts as staff
nurses are promoted to a higher position with experience, good
performance and continuous education (College Grad, 2017).
Studies have linked poor patients outcome to lack of nursing
skills and knowledge; Thus to enhance patient’s safety and
quality care, nurses are required to go for a higher education or
study as recommended in Institute of medicine report . Higher
education does not only benefit the patients but also boost the
confidence of nurses. Lack of confidence decrease self-esteem,
every nurses needs to believe in him/herself to work effectively
and efficiently while collaborating with other health care team.
Lack of education limits learning new skills and opportunity to
grow in knowledge and also could hinder opportunities to
fellowship or collaborate effectively with other health care
professionals.
5
Pros of continuing higher education related to the relationship
to professional certification
Increases knowledge and quality of care in nursing practice.
Enhances nurses’ ability to compete in the job market.

5. Develops a nurses’ confidence and professionalism.
Defines nursing practice and attests to ongoing qualifications
(Brunt).
The ANA defines certification as an achievement of exemplary
nursing knowledge; therefore, continuing education promotes
the above noted benefits. The question of mandatory continuing
education for nurses has been brewing since the 1960s (Brunt).
6
CONS OF CONTINUING HIGHER EDUCATION RELATED
TO THE RELATIONSHIP TO PROFESSIONAL
CERTIFICATION
Cons include:
Education does not assure competence.
Continuing education is expensive.
Evaluation tools are ineffective and not always accurate
(Brunt).
Continuing education does not show evidence of better patient-
care outcomes (Eustace, 2001).
Those opposed to mandatory continuing education maintain that
as professionals, nurses are personally responsible to identify
and acquire appropriate education (Brunt).
7
PROS TO CONTINUING EDUCATION RELATED TO ANA
SCOPE AND STANDARDS OF PRACTICE
Improves quality of patient care
Expands knowledge and contribute to career growth
Ensures competency in practice
Providing best evidence based nursing care

6. The scope of practice is defined by the , “who”, “what”,
“where”, “when”, “why”, and “how” of nursing practice. The
practice of nursing requires specialized knowledge, skills and
independent decision making. Every nurse should be
knowledgeable and up to date with the latest evidence based
practice in order to provide the best care to their patients. With
higher education nurses are able to take on leadership roles.
Leadership roles are important to help lead change to transform
health care, and for “public, private, and governmental health
care decision makers at every level” to “include representation
from nursing on boards (Campaign for Action, 2014).
8
CONS TO CONTINUING EDUCATION RELATED TO ANA
SCOPE AND STANDARDS OF CARE
CODE OF ETHICS provision 5 related to Continuing Education
As outlined by the ANA, provision 5 includes that nurses owe
the same duties to self as others, this includes responsibility to
preserve integrity and safety, maintain competence, and to
continue personal professional growth (Fowler and American
Nurse Association, 2010).
PROS
Fair and equal treatment
Safe patient care
Be competent
Be educated to provide the best care
Grow professional and personally
Expand career knowledge and skills
Integrity

7. Builds confidence
Helps guide better decision making
Creates trust
Extends positive influence
CONS
Personal and professional growth requires a time commitment
Being competent and advancing can include a financial
commitment
Growing pains
Feeling out of comfort zone
The Code of Ethics is a public expression of what a nurse
commits oneself to when entering the workforce as a nurse.
The Code expresses values, duties, and commitments that all
nurses will strive for (ANA, 2010). There are many pros and a
few cons to nurses agreeing to follow the Code of Ethics. The
pros mentioned above can greatly outweigh the cons. As nurses
we are here to serve people, we extend ourselves to care for
others. In caring for others we must also care for our self in the
process. The ANA outlines for professional growth a nurse is
responsible for “continued reading, study, observation, and
investigation” (2010). All of the above are outlined by the
ANA.
10
CODE OF ETHICS PROVISION 7 RELATED TO CONTINING
EDUCATION
Fowler and the American Nurses Association defined provision
7 as, a nurses participation in the advancement of the profession
through contributions to practice, education, administration, and

8. knowledge development (2010).
PROS
Advancements
In education
In practices of care
In administration
Knowledge
CONS
Having the need to want advancement
Time commitment
Possible financial commitment
Growing pains
Being pushed out of your comfort zone
Nurses are the forefront of advancement for the medical field.
We hold many positions from floor nursing, administration and
educators within the health care system. For the field of
nursing and nurses to continue to grow and advance we all must
pledge to participate in advancing the profession with
education, and the search of knowledge. Examples of ways that
nursing has advanced from the past is nurses now have
advanced degrees such as: Master and doctoral level educations
and also Nurse Practitioners. The ANA provides specifics on
where nurses can advance the profession; be involved in
healthcare policy, develop, maintain and implement professional
standards in clinical practice, administration and education
practices, and apply knowledge development, dissemination and
application to practice (2010). As nurses the ANA Code of
Ethics provides a pathway to things that will improve nursing
practice as a whole.
11
CODE OF ETHICS

9. CONCLUSION
References
American Nurses Credentialing Center. (2014). The Importance
of Evaluating the Impact of Continuing Nursing Education
on Outcomes:Professional Nursing Practice and Patient Care.
Retrieved from
http://www.nurse.credentialing.org/Accreditation/
Fowler, M. D., & American Nurses Association. (2010). Guide
to the code of ethics for nurses: Interpretation and application.
Silver Spring, MD: American Nurses Association.
Ward, J. (2013, January 23). The Pros and Cons of Getting
Nursing CEUs. Retrieved from Nurse Together: http://
www.nursetogether.com/pros-and-cons-getting-nursing-
ceus
Whittaker, S., Carson , W., & Smolenski, M. C. (2000,
September). Assuring Continued Competence - Policy
Questions and Approaches: How Should the Profession
Respond? Online Journal of Issues in Nursing. Retrieved
from :
http://www.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/ANAMarket
place/ANAPeriodicals/
Brunt, B. The importance of lifelong learning in managing
risks. The Nursing
Risk Management Series(3). Retrieved from
http://ana.nursingworld.org/mods/archive/mod311
Eustace, L. (2001). Mandatory continuing education:past,
present, and future trends & issues.

10. The Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing 32(3).
References
Nursing: Scope and Standard of Practice. Retrieved from
www.nursingworld.org
ANA Leadership – American Nurses Foundation. Retrieved
from www.anfonline.org
University of Saint Mary. (2017) Higher Nursing Education and
its Impact on Patient Safety. Retrieved on September 21st from
http://online.stmary.edu/rn-bsn/resources/higher-nursing-
education-impact-on-patient-safety
College Grad (2017) Registered nurses. Retrieved September
24th, from https://collegegrad.com/careers/registered-nurses