In an effort to increase competency among nurses nationally, The College Network and the National Federation of Licensed Practical Nurses (NFLPN) have joined together to recognize institutions pursuing higher education for their staff, including new eLearning development as part of nursing programs.
The partnership encourages hospitals and healthcare providers to seek out custom training software and promote a culture of continued learning for licensed practical nurses (LPN) and licensed vocational nurses (LVN). As even simple processes become digitized and the push to fully integrated electronic health records increases it's possible that LPNs and LVNs who received their education prior to the advent of these technologies won't know how to use them properly, resulting in serious problems for staff and patients alike.
"Every position in the nursing field requires ongoing education," said NFLPN president Ottamissiah Moore in a statement regarding the new initiative. "Complicated patient issues, standards of care and new equipment make additional education more important than ever before."
Seeking out change
This need for training was recognized at the Oncology Nursing Society's 37th Annual Congress, where the topic of ongoing eLearning development was brought forward as key to radiology nurses and clinical nurse specialists staying on top of the changing technology wave. During the symposium, a proposal for dedicated mobile learning opportunities not only in clinical practices but the importance of social media and other technologies was put forth.
The CNS' role, according to the abstract from the 37th Congress, should now include a working knowledge of online tools that will broaden paths of communication between providers, patients, and the population as a whole. As pointed out in the abstract from the discussion, the need for flexible and current information is vital to both CNSs and staff alike. So far initiatives have resulted in webinars, podcasts, and other online media breakthroughs allowing CNS to communicate with other clinicians as well as patients as a means of tracking their work and eLearning development.
"Engaging with current technologies is vital to productive and efficient educational opportunities," read a statement from the Oncology Nursing Society. "It is important for Oncology CNSs to use various modalities to provide patient, caregiver and healthcare staff education that is current and reliable."
As the means of communication available to the public increase, so will their interest in how their healthcare is being managed. Providing nurses with new custom training software and eLearning opportunities will keep them ahead of the game.
Contact Stacey Burris at sburris@csesoftware.com or 1.309.670.7595 and ask for a eLearning demo today!
